Wake Me Up
by Koiame
Summary: Harry has an unexpected night visitor. But will it be a good thing, or end him? HP/DM
1. Chapter 1

**Koiame**: This beautiful gem of a fic came to me as I was lying in bed, unable to sleep. XD I am so excited to write this. I hope you enjoy it as much as the very idea of it makes me love it!

**Disclaimer**: DO NOT READ IF… you are under the age of 18. This fan fiction story contains intense adult themes and situations, strong language, violence, angst, and many other inappropriate things that come from my corrupt mind. This story also contains homosexual relationships, so if you can't handle that please save us both a headache and find a different story to read. Other than that, enjoy.

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**Chapter 1: Stay**

It was the 7th of August. Three months and five days had passed since the battle of Hogwarts. But there were no calendars on wizard walls that recorded the weight of the time that had passed. Etched in Harry's mind were memories of daily funeral processions; black suits, black veils. The whole world, piece by part, timidly put itself back together. The same went for Harry Potter's life.

"Mr. Potter! Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron!" Tom the innkeeper shouted from behind the bar. "How've you been?" The place was empty. No surprise at five in the morning.

Harry gave a faint smile and curt nod to him as he walked through the door, luggage in tow. "Will it be the usual room, then? Number eleven?" Tom asked as he hurried around the counter to take Harry's trunk.

"Sure."

Tom led the way up the creaky wooden stairs.

"You'll have the floor to yourself, 'cept for one down the hall. What brings you here this time?" After fumbling with his keys, he unlocked the door.

"Auror exams."

"Ah… Of course, of course!" Tom beamed, maybe a little overexcited. "Please let us know if there's anything we can do for you, Mr. Potter."

Harry retrieved a purse of seventy galleons from his cloak and handed it to the balding wizard. "For the week. If there's more or less, I'll take care of it."

"Right." Tom's thin lips curved into a wide smile as he bid Harry goodnight with a gentle nod.

Door shut, the raven-haired wizard let his trunk drop at the foot of the single bed. The absence of Hedwig's cage in the familiar room reopened a small wound in Harry's heart. There was only loneliness without her. 'The talking mirror is even gone,' thought the hero as he fell back onto his bed with a frown.

Faint traces of light from Charing Cross Road beamed through the window - still visible despite the glow of the room's dusty lamps. The Midnight Express ride had taken its toll on Harry. His head felt the swerving, stretching, and veering of the wildly driven double-decker even then. Yet without realizing it, the young wizard drifted off to sleep – unaware that it was the last night for a while he would sleep in peace.

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**Koiame**: That was Chapter 1. And oh boy do I have some plans! Please continue to read and review if you feel compelled. Thank you! :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Koiame**: Thank you for reading! And I hope you enjoy this fic!

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**Chapter 2: Hero**

The sun was already high in the sky when Harry woke. The noise of people talking out on the street and in the pub reverberated through the walls and window. A familiar smell of hot stew and spilled beer seeped through every crack in the wood and gap under the door. It was the gurgling feeling in his stomach that compelled Harry to wake. If he was back at the Burrow, Mr. Weasley would have called him down already. Ginny would be nudging him awake. Harry sighed.

The eighteen year old wizard thought it was a good idea to get away. With Ginny around, there was no way he could concentrate on studying for the examination. His stomach growled loudly once again.

"All right, all right." Harry grumbled as he got out of bed and fixed his askew glasses. Not bothering to change, and shoes already on, he had only to walk out of his room and go down the stairs. The pub was busy. Witches and wizards sat in chairs at the bar, and groups of travelers and weary shoppers crowded the tables.

"It's Harry Potter!" One aged witch yelled when she spotted him on the landing.

That very instant, the whole place was in a frenzy. Chairs overturned, children were knocked about, all as people clamored to greet the savior of the wizarding world.

"Hi… Hello…" Harry said as he was tugged at and bumped into. The noise of many people yelling at the same time drowned out all other sound. Not even Tom heard himself cast "Sonorus".

"QUIET!" Everyone stopped and turned to Tom. "QUIETUS. Let Mr. Potter have some lunch without crowding him!" The innkeeper scolded. Most of the people went back to their seats, still staring, smiling, and waiving at their hero. Others tried to convince him to join them at their table.

"Thank you. Thanks very much, but I think I'll just be eating at the bar." Harry avoided their grasp and sat on an empty bar stool. "Thanks Tom." The young wizard thanked his rescuer as he came to take his order. Harry ordered the daily special and a flask of pumpkin juice. Time flew by as he chatted with his bar mates and signed an occasional autograph for young kids. Despite the attention, Harry was enjoying his stay at The Leaky Cauldron – unaware that he was being watched.

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**Koiame**: More to come soon! Please read and review! This will be Harry/Draco. Just bear with me, ok? ^.^


	3. Chapter 3

**Koiame**: Thank you everyone for reading. I hope you enjoy this fic! Please review and let me know what you think!

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to**: Malfoy Unforgiven

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**Chapter 3: Wait**

A figure sat at the edge of the bar, cloaked in deep purple. Knuckles white, the man's right hand clenched his mug tightly. If his eyes could kill and hand, strangle the one in his sights, Harry James Potter would be dead. The wooden bar stool creaked under his tensing body. Silver-blond hair peaked out from the cloak's hood. Silver-grey eyes peered from the shadows. Hurt. Angry. Soul covered in scars.

Harry Potter finished his beef stew. His very presence in the pub brought with it a celebratory atmosphere. Victory; good had triumphed. And even those who had lost loved ones had faces lit up with the glow of ease in peaceful times. It was more than the watcher could stand. Draco Malfoy's bar stool made little noise as he carefully rose. Five Sickles left on the counter; the Malfoy heir ascended the stairs with purpose. The second floor… that's where he would start.

"Accio Harry Potter's trunk" Draco mumbled quietly. A loud, dull thunk sounded as the door to number eleven was hit to his right. He had found Harry's room. "Alohamora", the door unlocked and opened with a click. The trunk lay behind it, blocking the intruder's way. "Wingardium Leviosa" cast the blond wizard with ease.

Standing inside Harry's room, Draco felt the forbidden energy – the rush of secretly violating his enemy's space. But there was no time to dwell on that feeling. Malfoy locked the door behind him and let the trunk down in front of Harry's bed – the obvious place considering the habits of Hogwarts boys. There was still one more thing to do before he would be ready to take revenge.

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**Koiame**: I hope you enjoyed! Keeping the chapters short in order to keep me motivated. Thank you everyone for reading. More will hopefully be on its way. Please feel free to check out some of my other stories in the mean time and review. Thank you!


	4. Chapter 4

**Koiame: **Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this next chapter! I'm going to try and keep them coming.

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** Eyeinthesky, Malfoy Unforgiven, and PikuPow.

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**Chapter 4: Road**

Harry walked down Diagon Alley. Many shops still bore torn faces; insides gutted leaving a gaping mouth. He was out of place with his blue jeans and baggy grey shirt. The witches and wizards that traversed the streets donned their cloaks and casual robes. Young children tottered behind their mothers as they held hands. Many would be off to Hogwarts for their first year.

Somewhere, a clock chimed two o'clock. The heat of the day was soaked in every brick and cobblestone. Harry wiped the sweat from his brow. His shirt and jeans began to cling to his body and lips became dry. On a day like this, the young wizard remembered sitting at an outside table in the shade while eating Florean Fortescue's ice cream sundaes. But now, that shop remained boarded up and lifeless like so many others. It was a haunting reminder of the innocence lost.

Stalls dotted the street. Some sold miracle potions, others predicted your future; but the one Harry stopped at sold snacks. Chocolate frogs, Bertie's beans, and almost any treat you could think of, hung from the walls or ceiling. Ellie's elixirs and Catterby's colas sprawled out on the table before him. They were magically cool and refreshing; perfect for an abnormally hot summer's day. Harry picked a Catterby blackberry-lime fizzy cola and a bag of Bertie's. He had just turned around when a group of young kids mobbed him.

"You're Harry Potter!"

"Our mum's told us loads about how you defeated You-Know-Who!"

"Can we have your autograph?"

"Please, please, please!"

"Mum, it's Harry Potter! See…"

There was a small mob starting to form, all smiling and excited to meet their hero.

"Hi everyone." The surrounded young wizard greeted. "Anyone have a pen?"

Kids rustled through their new school supplies. A young red-headed kid produced an endless-ink quill from his father's pocket.

"Thanks." Harry took the pen and signed a seemingly endless amount of cauldrons, books, scrolls, book bags, and an occasional pet rat. He was dragged into shops to be shown to other relatives, friends, and coworkers; like a trophy. Time wore by slowly, yet ate up the day 'til there was no trace left. Lanterns lit the way at night. All the parents with their children had long since left. Those that remained were some of the witches and wizards he had met in the bar earlier, who insisted this time they join him for supper.

The doors swung jovially open to The Leaky Cauldron. It was a festive celebration after they walked through the door. People were buying him drinks and plates of food were being ordered for whole tables. Music played throughout the place from the magical radio. The Weird Sisters' new single, 'Down Goes the Dark', had everyone singing.

'_It's going to be a long night._' Harry sighed to himself before he was urged to take another swig of fire whiskey from his flagon.

A very long night indeed…

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**Koiame:** Well, that's this chapter guys. Don't worry, next chapter is going to be even more suspenseful, as well as shocking, so enjoy the wait. It will be delicious. Thank you for all those who have been reading. And an extra thank you to my reviewers. Without you, I'd probably never update. Lol. So thank you! Please continue reading and enjoy!


	5. Chapter 5

**Koiame: **Back to the story! Hope you enjoy! ^.^

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** No one. :'( That's ok, I still love you all.

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**Chapter 5: Kill**

How many hours had passed while Draco Malfoy waited for Harry Potter to return to room number eleven? Asleep; the silver-haired boy did not notice. He had planned carefully what he would do. But in the passing hours and the encroachment of night, the young wizard had drifted off. Somewhere below the wooden floor he rested on was Harry; being forced to regale the story of Voldemort's defeat for the fifth time that evening.

The bar was slowly beginning to clear out. Many opted to use the Floo network to get home, instead of flying or apparating drunk. When the clock struck two-thirty, Harry was finally able to slip away when Tom's sister, Margaretta, shooed them all to bed. Tired and drunk, the eighteen-year-old champion tarried until all had gone, before he made his way up the stairs and to his door.

'_A lot of studying I got done today._' Harry mused as he fumbled with unlocking his door. Inside, the room was mostly dark. The muggle world outside his window was quiet. Rare was a car driving by. But when it did, shadows and light played on the walls. Door slammed shut behind him. Somewhere in the darkness, a sleeping blond snake quietly startled awake. Draco's heart beat raged in his chest.

Harry ventured forth.

'_Shirt._' The drunken wizard frowned as he clumsily wrestled his top off. The room was warmer than the bar below. The air hung. From the closet, Draco watched his prey undress through the gaps of the slatted shutter door. Jeans came off. And Harry's pale chest and legs took on a twilight glow.

"Uuugh." Harry moaned at his drunkenness as he flopped belly-first onto the bed.

'_Tomorrow_,' he promised himself. '_I will study._'

Anger and adrenaline were being summoned forth by Draco. As he watched the hero fall asleep, the vengeful man psyched himself up for what he had resolved to do; kill Harry Potter.

'_He ruined us. Half-blood traitor. My dad… in Azkaban all because of him. Can't go back to Hogwarts because of him. Crabbe _died_ because of him! But if I kill 'the great Harry Potter', the disgrace of my family will be gone._'

The Malfoy heir's palms were sweaty. In his right hand, Draco clutched his wand tight.

'_This is it._' He could hardly breathe. '_This is it._'

The door slid quietly to the right. On his feet, the blond had his wand fixed toward Harry. Circling around, the floor boards made hushed creaks of warning. Back towards the window, Draco's shadow now cast itself over Harry's sleeping body. It covered him although the sheets did not.

Silver-grey eyes scanned the sleeping young man's body. Standing there felt like a scandal. He had wondered since the day before how this would actually be. It was much different than when he faced Dumbledore two years ago. There were no knowing eyes staring through him. No one was there to take the responsibility from him. It is his will alone.

"Avada…" Draco attempted with a whisper. His bottom lip curled and hand shook.

'_What am I, a fucking pussy?_' He screamed at himself. Eyes closed, the blond could see his aunt Bella egging him on. "Do it!" She yelled. "Kill Potter!"

Face scrunched up and eyes cracked open, he shook as he uttered the words. A single tear ran down his cheek and his stomach turned. "**Avada Kedavra!**" A flash of green. The spell hit its target. An eternity passed, motionless. Both Draco and Harry were breathless. Wide-eyed, the blonde boy watched as a river of blood trickled down slowly from his victim's nose.

'_I-I _killed_ him._'

Somewhere inside, Draco could hear Bellatrix Lestrange's cackle.

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**Koiame:** No, this is NOT the end! There is plenty more to come. Please continue reading and review. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

**Koiame: **Hey everyone! Glad you all enjoyed the last chapter. I hope you enjoy this one! Please vote for this story on the poll on my profile page if you have time. Thank you!

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** Suto-Chan and Malfoy Unforgiven!

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**Chapter 6: Dead**

Red; the very color mesmerized the _killer_. Draco's eyes followed – _no_, he thought - they _guided_ the river of blood across Harry's fair skin. The trail curved and wound like a slithering snake. Drip… dripping on the cream colored sheets. It was an eternity lived in mere seconds. The hatred extinguished. All that remained in Draco was the gravity and finality of what he had done.

'_Aunt Bella's laughing is gone._'

He was faced with desolation. Harry's life had seemed so tremendous; not an ephemeral thing. And then he knew. For once in Malfoy's proud, omniscient life, he felt human.

"P… Potter." The shaking boy called out. It was almost a whisper. He stood there like a scared child timidly waking his mother to comfort him after a nightmare. There were no steady breaths gathering in Harry's naked chest. Draco's wand slipped from his fingers and clattered on the floor. It was so quiet. It was so lonely and holy. He could feel his soul pouring out of his mouth with every breath. '_You can't be dead._' The ghostly white boy outstretched his quivering hand. '_The blood. I have to stop the bleeding._' Thud. Draco collapsed to his knees beside the bed. The feel of Harry's face was foreign. The blond was sobbing as he whisked the blood away with his fingers. It would not stop. Each drop reminded him of his sin. Warm, wet sin; it covered his hand.

"Don't be dead, Potter." Draco pleaded forcefully. "Wake up!" It was no use. '_I've finally done it._' The contents of his stomach churned. '_I've killed him father._' The red stream had continued its defiance. '_IT HAS TO STOP!_' He decided in crazed resolution. Wand missing in the darkness, the distraught wizard frantically wiped the blood away. It was like some perverse race. If only he could wipe it all away at once, then it would be fine and _Harry_ would be fine.

"STOP IT! Stop bleeding! Stop pretending Potter. I know you're fucking with me!"

'_Why did I kill him?_' He cried, energy waning. There was no guarding himself. No pomposity could get around this. Killing his rival, his _enemy_, should be different, he thought. There should be glory and parades in his honor. People should be cheering at the sight. He would be the victor. But there was no one there praising him. It was cheap revenge. This made him a murderer, _not_ Draco Malfoy! Yet it was.

And numbness followed. Draco lifted his bloodied hand and looked at it. '_Why is this real?_' He wondered.

The bleeding just had to end! It couldn't be allowed to contradict the image he held onto of Harry passed out, peacefully asleep. Malfoy gently pinched the middle of Potter's nose and the blood flow came to a sleepy halt. It was gone. The evidence had stopped. And through the watery lenses of Draco's eyes, he could swear that Harry's lips slightly parted. '_He's…_' A revelation exploded across his face. Tears raged forth. "YOU BASTARD!" The blond's eyes shown relief and rage at the unconscious, but alive raven-haired boy. "I hate you! I hate you, I hate you!" He wanted to beat Harry until he was a pile of mush. Draco's fingers had pulled away and he now searched on the floor for his missing wand.

It had rolled past the bed skirt and lurked amidst the dust bunnies that inhabited the nether-bed. The magical things squeaked and squealed as they hopped out of the way in terror. Finally, the long, slender item was in his hand. Rising, Draco hoped his spell would work properly this time. But why had the killing curse failed?

"_**Episkey**_." Harry's nose was repaired.

'_But what to do about Potter's breathing?_' Draco puzzled, gaining his composure. Nothing he learned at Hogwarts or from his parents had ever prepared him for a situation like this. The puffy-eyed wizard paced the room. '_There _is_ one spell that might work…_'

"_**Finite Incantatem.**_"

The up and down of Harry's chest and the gap between his lips became more noticeable. Relief washed over Draco. He took a deep breath and sat down.

'_I'm _not_ a murderer._' Malfoy's burgeoning soul sang. '_I never really wanted to kill the git, just make him suffer._' He was feeling more 'normal' now. This incident would just become 'nothing'.

'_This never happened. No one needs to know._' Draco felt worn from the ordeal. '_I'll leave, and he'll never know I killed him._'

He chuckled a little at his thoughts. '_The boy who almost died. That has a much better ring to it._' A small, faint smile played at his lips. Harry was sleeping soundly now.

'_Potter _would_ sleep peacefully._' Draco scoffed. But there was something about the sight that struck him. It was beyond relief or absolution. Draco was content to watch Harry sleep.

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**Koiame:** Wow, that was the longest chapter yet! I hope you enjoyed it. **PLEASE REVIEW!** It is what motivates me to work on this story. I'm a review whore. ^.^ What can I say? There is plenty of goodness to get to in the coming chapters. Let me know what you thought of this one, okies? Thank you. Until next update then!


	7. Chapter 7

**Koiame: **So much love to you all! Thank you for the amazing reviews, favoriting, and reading you all have been doing! This is my therapy, so please don't be surprised at the messed-up nature of pretty much all my stories. I hope you all enjoy this new chapter! And yes, Draco is a crazy git sometimes. ;D But that's part of his charm. And sorry the chapters are short. It's just how my brain works best. ^.^

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** Dark Side Of The Light Side, grassandsafetypinsandthings, and xxpurplebluehipposandjazzxx.

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**Chapter 7: Loom**

The muggle world outside the window was slowly waking with the sun. In the distance somewhere, a dog was barking a welcome or a warning for the new day. Meanwhile, inside room number eleven, time had merely dribbled on. Quiet in his thoughts, the young wizard's heart was weighing a change. He, Draco, was the _same_. Malfoy's self was unaltered by this incident – at least that's what he convinced himself. But in reality, he could not understand his remorse.

'_That wanker, Dumbledore…_' The put-out wizard cursed the memory of the night he had been meant to kill his headmaster. '_"You're not a murderer." Or some rubbish._' But in Draco's heart, he knew that was the truth. '_Maybe that's why the spell failed._' The former Slytherin prefect heaved an incredible sigh.

'_Unbelievable._' Somehow, the world had come to lie upon his chest. Shoulder leaned against the wall, Draco felt awkward. '_Am I… guarding Potter?_' The sudden revelation left him dumbstruck. '_Keeping watch over someone you had almost killed only hours ago – that has to be psychotic behavior or something._' The wide-eyed young man panicked. His eyes darted to his sleeping charge as if looking for a reply to his thought. None came, save for a sleepy sigh or dreamy mumble. Thoughtful silence filled the moment.

'_What… would it be like… to be a part of his world?_' Draco timorously wondered. The underlying envy that had always persisted in his thoughts of Harry was left bare before him. But it was not hateful or spiteful. It was earnest curiosity. '_How is it that they're all so happy around Potter? As if they don't know their own inferior status. It's like some sort of Potter cult._' It had always puzzled, yet attracted him at the same time. How many times in the past had Draco thought that kind of friendship should be reserved for him alone? Not wasted on a mudblood and _Weasley_ runt of all people! His pale red lips pouted. '_Well, there's nothing to be done about it now._' Malfoy thought wryly.

'_I should go._' He took one step forward. The thought of leaving pained him. It would feel strange, he thought, to not be standing there anymore.

With eyes cast down at the floor, Draco could not summon up the will to walk away. "I'm sorry, you know." He whispered without moving, hoping the sincere apology would free his soul of the heaviness he felt. Without a thought, his fingers brushed lightly over Harry's down turned hand and he walked away. It was a strange feeling, he thought in confusion, like leaving something important behind.

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"Uuuh…" Harry groaned as he woke hours later. '_Bloody hell! This is the _worst _hangover ever!_' His head felt like it was splitting in two and his body ached as if a giant had used him for a chair. Raven hair spilled between his fingers when he rubbed his sore eyes. The sunlight streaming through the window felt like an assault. Outside, cars hurried by and pedestrians walked their dogs or jogged to bus stops. The world seemed nauseatingly fast in its passing by.

Stomach churning, the sobered wizard turned on his left side in hopes of it settling. Peaking through his fingers, Harry squinted from the light. The world was faded at first, but then came into focus. A surprising sight caught his eye.

'_Blood?_' His green eyes questioned the sheets. Instinctively, Harry touched his face and checked for a source. Nothing. '_What the…_'

"What kind of night did I have?" He mumbled; suddenly regretting opening his mouth as bile burned his throat. There was no time to dally. Harry sprung up and dashed for the bathroom. Toilets are very disgusting things to begin with, so the kneeling boy made no extra delay in losing his supper. After minutes of retching, he tottered backwards and almost sprawled out on the tile floor. Emerald eyes damp with effort and body shivering with chills, Harry was a sight. Content to lie there, he did not bother to move until his trembling died down.

"I'm never going to do that again." He swore as he managed to stand.

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**Koiame:** I'll leave it at that for now. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Not too eventful compared to the last couple chapters, but necessary none the less. ;D Please review and let me know what you think so far! Thank you! Until next time!


	8. Chapter 8

**Koiame: **Thank you for your reviews! Glad there are so many of you who are enjoying this story. :D Please keep me posted on your favorite parts of the chapters or what you think I should improve. This coming weekend is going to be very busy for me, so please pardon any delays. I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** boredom is a crime, grassandsafetypinsandthings, Malfoy Unforgiven (Thank you for reviewing Ch. 6 as well! Sorry if it was unclear at the end. Glad you're enjoying this fic! I'm going to do my best to keep things rockin'!)

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**Chapter 8: Urge**

After showering and pulling on some robes, Harry did his best not to wobble on his way downstairs. It was just before lunchtime and the normal crowd had not yet arrived, to the weary wizard's relief. Behind the bar, Tom took one look at the hero and began fixing him something.

"Morning Tom." Harry chortled, self-conscious of his obviously hung-over state.

The eighteen-year-old sauntered over to a comfortable booth and plopped his aching bones down. The darkness of the bar, even during the daytime, was a welcome haven. As he waited for the bartender/innkeeper to come over and tend to him, Harry tried to peace together the night before.

'_So much drinking!_' The wizard moaned softly as he remembered round after round put before him to down. '_I think they were out to kill me…_' Joked Harry sardonically. Out of the corner of his green eyes, he watched Tom totter over to him with a mug clasped in one hand and cutlery in the other.

"I have _just_ the thing you'll be needing." A subdued cheer exuded from the balding wizard as he let the mug down on the table with a 'thud'.

"Er, thanks Tom. What is it?"

"Hangover cure." He winked at Harry. "Drink it down and I'll be back with some porridge."

The young wizard was left alone with the questionable smelling concoction.

'_Ugh… Is that slime?_' Wondered Harry nauseously. In all his years, he wondered why only once had there been a potion that tasted decent.

"Bottoms up." He braced himself and chugged down the whole flagon, heaving halfway through. Face contorted in disgust, Harry let the flask down with a dull clatter. '_What did he put in that, slugs?_' The thought made him gag. Stomach gurgling, the hung-over patron let out a discrete belch as the barkeep swooped back upon his location.

"Looks like it's working, then." Tom grinned and set down the porridge with a 'plunk'. "Give 'er a moment. You'll be able to eat in no time."

Harry looked up at the aged wizard skeptically, forcing a smile. "Yeah…"

Left alone to his meal, Harry stared queasily at the porridge. '_Why does it look like paste?_' The young man lamented. Grasping a spoon, he sunk the end into the bowl of goop and watched the white mass consume it like the Blob. The faint sucking noise of the utensil's recession into the doomed porridge would make even the hungriest beggar think twice before consumption.

Letting the handle go with a small 'clack', Harry abandoned the notion of eating, closed his eyes, and let his head rest against the backboard with a 'thump'. The sweet, woody smell of the bar filled his nostrils. The green-eyed wizard couldn't decide if it made him feel ill or not. '_I still haven't gotten any studying done… Maybe it was a bad idea to come here._' He pondered, a slight frown gracing his lips.

Upstairs in room number four, the window blinds were shut tight. Slices of light begged to filter through the small gaps between each slat; denied. Fine robes were strewn carelessly throughout the room. Tussled silver hair brushed lightly against a course pillowcase. A royal purple cloak lay forgotten beside the bed. Upon the firm mattress, Draco Malfoy was curled up tight – sobbing.

Many misfortunes had plagued the great Malfoy family since the defeat of Voldemort. Of course, they were ill-regarded during the rein of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but the insult now added to injury was driving the blond mad. Both of the young wizard's parents were being held by the ministry for questioning. He knew what that really meant. Narcissa and Lucious Malfoy were rotting away in the ruins of Azkaban while the Ministry of Magic sorted out the wheat from the chaff.

Life was uncertain and fragile for the boy left behind. Malfoy manor had been seized a month earlier. All Draco possessed now could fit in one trunk. There was no one left turn to. And amidst this misfortune and despair, he had found a way to redeem all the failure. But even that – even killing Harry Potter – was too much a task. Draco screamed and dug his fingernails into his forearms. The room had been made soundproof, so no one would notice.

"What's wrong with me?" The words wobbled from pail, thin lips. He kicked his legs wildly about before settling to rest upon his back. Arms were crossed; holding on tightly. '_I can't breathe! I… I can't breeeathe…_' Draco's eyes were burning from hours of bitter tears.

'_It would be so easy for _me_ to die, Potter. But you… how come it's always you? Defying death, being the hero, pulling off that bollocks expression…_' The blond pictured the knowing, determined, and reassuring look he'd seen Harry carelessly give to so many except him - a despised Slytherin. It was cruel. Malfoy grit his teeth and rubbed his eyes harshly with the palms of his hands.

'_Why didn't you die?_' Draco laid still, eyes staring in the false darkness at the ceiling. Where tears had run, his damp cheeks became chilled. Breaths evened. The unexpected feeling of relief he had felt the night before, that Harry still drew breath after the curse, cruelly stung his pride. Deep despair sucked his insides out.

"It's not fair…" Numbness deadened his nerves.

Then a strange realization dawned on the grey-eyed boy. And a dark feeling revisited him. Standing above the raven-haired wizard, sole witness to Harry's drunken slumber; Draco had held a secret power over his rival. The thought mulled around until it found flesh to seep into.

Feelings of arousal peaked throughout his body. Heart beat faster. A mesmerizing, exhilarating feeling… Draco's heart sensed the encroaching perversion of what were his established moral underpinnings. The pupils of his eyes widened. '_Why? Why does this… excite me?_' Emotions swirled around inside his chest.

"I…" Draco frightfully whispered. "I have to do it. I-I have to try again."

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**Koiame**: Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait. I hope you liked this chapter. It was pretty long. I hope I conveyed the inner conflict Draco's going through alright. I could have added more, but I felt that less is more in the case of vague feelings. Please review! It makes me feel appreciated and excited about writing. Thank you. :D


	9. Chapter 9

**Koiame: **You guys are awesome! 3 Thank you for the reviews, favoriting, alerting, and reading you all have been doing. I can't tell you how wonderful it makes me feel! So please keep reading and I'll keep writing. Sorry I don't write longer chapters. How do I put this kindly? I'm a spaz, flake, or wishy-washy person. The shorter chapters allow me to update more frequently and keep track of my thoughts. But enough about me, go ahead and read. Hope you enjoy!

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** grassandsafetypinsandthings, HPDM beta, The Green Eye, cherry-chapstick14, Aikoyu Saotome (x2)

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**Chapter 9: Aims**

The elixir had begun to kick in. Nausea subsiding, Harry reassessed the untouched porridge before him. '_Maybe it's not as bad as it looks…_' The wizard scowled as he nudged his lunch with the metal spoon.

"The great Harry Potter who turned back the tide of darkness is now reduced to picking fights with his food." A familiar voice gave Harry a start. Red hair and a freckled cheeky grin greeted the seated wizard.

"Ron, you git!" The emerald-eyed boy leapt up in surprise and heartily embraced his best friend. Separating, Harry asked, "What are you doing here?" For the past couple months, the youngest Weasley boy had been helping Hermione rebuild Hogwarts with the surviving teachers and volunteers. Slight sunburn graced his ears and nose, accentuating the redness of his trademark Weasley hair.

Ron rolled his eyes and smirked. "Mum."

"Ah." Harry understood without needing explanation. Mrs. Weasley would be worried that he was on his own while studying for the Auror exams. Thrown over his best friend's shoulder, Harry eyed the rucksack Ron was toting. Noticing this, the taller, freckled boy spoke. "It's a care package for you." The red-head shrugged and let it hang by the strap in his hand.

After receiving the curiously heavy bag, Harry quickly set it upon the table. "Thanks." He beamed. "Oh, do you want to join me for lunch?" Harry's hand motioned towards the booth.

"Naw, thanks. I'd better go before Hermione notices I'm not tending the barble patch." Ron sulked.

"The what?" Curiosity got the better of Harry.

Ron's hand carelessly pat down upon Harry's shoulder as his eyes told of fearsome tribulations. "Trust me, Harry. You don't want to know."

With a complete change of mood, Ron concluded abruptly. "Well, I'm off now. Good luck on the exam, mate." After being set free, the lone diner watched his friend turn and head for the door. Harry couldn't help but notice how much Ron had matured since the ordeal. They all had. Such heavy burdens had been placed on those who survived the second reign of the dark lord. It would be impossible not to have changed.

"Tell Ginny I said hi." Harry shouted after. Ron waved his hand casually in acceptance of the task before he disappeared. The establishment was quiet once again. The raven-haired boy thought it kind of lonely; but took comfort in the fact it was only until the exams.

After sliding back into the booth, Harry spooned some porridge into his mouth ungraciously. '_It's like paste. Or worse maybe? No, if suffocation were a food, it would be this porridge._' With a grimace, Harry managed to finish half of his meal before conceding.

'_At least my stomach's settled._' He thought wryly, resisting the urge to gag from remembering.

Upstairs, Draco was preparing to go out. Daylight was wasting, but then again dark things tend to be suited better for night. It was already over an hour ago since he heard Harry return to his room. No doubt he would remain there until supper. Then, the Slytherin would need to get in place. Hair properly slicked back, Draco grabbed his personal effects and slipped through the door, down the hall, and descended the stairs without a sound. Destination? Knockturn alley.

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**Koiame:** Short chapter, but I figured I should update. Working on the next chapter. Review if you have time. I do enjoy your feedback! :3 Thank you for reading. Until next time then!


	10. Chapter 10

**Koiame: **If you can believe it, this is my happy story at the moment. Thank you so much to my reviewers. You are so amazing! It brightens up my day to read your reviews. I will do my best not to let you down! So thank you all for reading. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** Please see previous disclaimer as it applies to all chapters.

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** (Belated thank you to reviewer "me" for chapter 8), pageturn, princesstinkerbell45, grassandsafetypinsandthings, and teddibear16. Love you guys!

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**Chapter 10: Bond**

Harry studied diligently at the desk in his room, but nearly two hours of nonstop reading had started to negatively affect his effectiveness. Instead, his green eyes wandered to the bed where he had tossed Mrs. Weasley's care package. Stomach rumbling, Harry had a good bet that there were some of her delicious homemade treats inside. The young wizard stretched, got up, and wandered over to the sack. Contained in it were assorted pies, tarts, fudge, and candied fruits; the sight of which made Harry's mouth water uncontrollably. Lunch, after all, had been quite a disappointment. He picked a box of pies from the top, opened it, and selected one he believed to contain a blackberry jam.

After taking a bite, Harry grimaced. '_Prune. Just my luck._' He swallowed reluctantly and took the box with him back to his tiny work space. '_If nothing else, I could use the prune ones for target practice._' A cheeky grin wound on the wizard's face. His next choice yielded better results: strawberry. Crumbs cascaded down Harry's front, the small avalanche of sweet confection spotting his blue shirt and the open textbook pages under his purview. Peruvian Jiggly ants, featured in an illustration, wiggled, like small dogs who wag their tails too hard, in their vain attempts to grasp the morsels lying beyond their two-dimensional realm.

Lost in day dreams, Harry idly munched on the sweets as his brilliant green eyes lazily watched muggles muddle about their daily business on the street below. One bloke chased after an escaped dog. Another picked his daughter up and threw her up in the air when he arrived home from work, catching her each time as she giggled and carried on. It was a much simpler world out there, Harry thought. But he did not envy or regret his life. The wizarding and muggle worlds were two sides of the same coin. And Harry – he belonged to both.

Taking a deep breath, Potter exhaled easily. The sun was resting over top the row of houses, as if lying its head down and bidding everyone 'goodnight'. Somewhere in the hazy tones of sunset, the raven-haired boy started losing grip. Cobble-stone shadows passed before his hooded eyes. Street lanterns were lit as he passed them in a blur. It was as if his dreams had come to claim him from the waking world.

Unbeknownst to Harry, his eyes shut tight and body slumped to the floor. His mind was on a journey down Diagon alley. But it would not end there. As his physical form lay unconscious, the legs of his waking dream self hurried ever faster. The seclusion of Knockturn alley consumed him in shadows.

Navigating its sinister passageways did not hold the usual ominous feeling. Instead, emotions Harry had never felt before threatened to suffocate him. Hatred, perverse excitement, and pain bubbled at the surface. Deeper inside, torrid emptiness surrounded him. The tall face of Borgin and Burkes welcomed his patronage. Hand on the door, a demanding voice was calling him back. The scene continued to play out, but Harry was getting farther and farther away. '_No… What happens next?_' Curiosity tugged at him.

"Alright there, sir? Can hue hear me? Should I call fer someone?" Eyes blinking laxly, the thin face of the Leaky Cauldron's housekeeper loomed above him. Her voice was as coarse as ever; like being licked awake by a cat's sandpaper tongue.

"I'm alright." Embarrassed, Harry refused her hand up. Instead he sat up, head spinning in his hands.

"What 'appened?" She asked out of concern; curly locks of blonde hair spilling over her catlike eyes as she leaned over him.

"I… must've fallen asleep." Harry lied poorly. He knew it had to be more than just that. The sensations were too real for a dream. It was as if… but that was impossible. Voldemort was dead. Wasn't he?

Eyes wide and wandering, the wizard suddenly remembered he was being watched. "I'll be fine, thank you." Harry insisted, making eye contact with the housekeeping witch. On shaky knees he stood, left arm planting itself stalwartly on the wooden desk. A reassuring smile flashed across his pale pink lips.

"A'right, if hue say so." Disbelief was written clearly on her brow, but she contended to not press the matter. After a searching glance, the witch left for the door – closing it and taking her cart to the next room to tidy.

Weak and weary, Harry stumbled to the measured comfort of his bed; care package wobbling as the springs distributed his weight. An awkward tightness burgeoned against the crotch of his jeans.

'_What was that?_' Harry wondered, biting his lip and adjusting himself. '_Voldemort's dead… And it didn't feel like him crawling around in my mind._' It was the same type of experience, yet the feelings were both chaotic and tempered simultaneously.

Chills shivered up Harry's spine as he remembered the icy void that would fill him whenever the dark lord slithered around his thoughts. But instead of that cold, the feel of hot breath on his neck and pure heat devouring his whole body was what detached him from reality. Unaware that he was almost panting, the raven-haired eighteen year old closed his eyes and recounted the incident.

'_Diagon alley… nightfall… then Knockturn alley and Borgin and Burkes…_' Harry's eyes snapped open in revelation. "What if that was _tonight_, and Voldemort's in Knockturn alley!" Adrenaline coursed through Potter's veins as he leapt from bed at the possibility. All he could think was that there was one sure-fire way to find out. In a heartbeat, the hero had grabbed his wand and rushed out of Room 11.

The young Malfoy heir fondled vials of questionable brews on a shelf in Borgin and Burkes. Silver strands of hair brushed his eye lashes with coarse kisses. Draco was uncharacteristically disheveled beneath his black riding cloak. The memory of Belatrix Lestrange's cackling voice reverberated in his eardrums. _"That's a good boy, Draco. You have to mean it, dear."_

Behind his cool grey eyes, he remembered the twisted smile on his aunt's face as he was made to torture mudbloods and muggles alike. Young or old, it hadn't mattered. It was only by the insistence of his mother that he had not been ordered to finish them off. 'No one knew injustice more than the Malfoys,' was the truth Draco held in his heart. Forced to unspeakable acts by darkness, and spurned by the light – it was all Harry Potter's fault! '_If only Potter had never been born!_' Bitter tears stung at the corners of his eyes and bile rose in his chest.

Out of nowhere, wrinkled fingers grazed his cheek and unhooded him. "Why if it isn't the young Master Malfoy." The small face of Caractacus Burke took on an eerie quality as he examined the boy. "What brings you here _this time_ to my humble shop? Come to buy another vanishing cabinet from my associate?"

Draco made himself stand taller and combed his hair back gracefully with his hand. "I don't see how it's any business of yours." His piercing eyes bore into the old man. It was a flawless imitation of his father, the young wizard noted with pride.

"No, of course not. I beg your Master's pardon." The shopkeeper sniffed. "I only wondered if you required something a little - stronger."

"Show me." Draco impatiently ordered; following the old man as he crept unsteadily to a shelf behind the counter.

"I find these potions essential when dealing with all sorts of _matters_." Burke grinned as he took down a tray of vials and tiny bottles and placed it before Malfoy.

'_All sorts of matters?_' Draco mused as he picked up and examined each potion to discover its dark purpose.

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**Koiame:** That's it for now! Whew, that was an extra long chapter! Hope to have more for you soon. Review if you feel inclined. Happy Holidays!


	11. Chapter 11

**Koiame: **Hey everyone! Happy New Year! Here is a short update. I hope you all enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Please see previous disclaimer as it applies to all chapters.

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** grassandsafetypinsandthings.

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**Chapter 11: ****Find**

The soles of Harry's shoes clacked carelessly against the cobblestone of Diagon Alley. His shadow seemed to chase him, urging him faster. Most of the shops were closing their doors and taking in their outdoor stands. Sharp green eyes pierced the entrance to Knockturn Alley, which seemed a mile away. His adrenaline clawed at the corners of its shadowy walls. '_It can't be Voldemort. We destroyed all the Horcrux. I watched him die._' Fretted the young man; raven hair tossing about in the wind of his effort. Still, the sick, volatile feeling of being connected to darkness lingered in the chills down his back, assuring him of its reality.

Like drawing a single fingernail down a blackboard, terror ran down to his stomach when a tall, cloaked figure broke the seal of Knockturn alley. In half a heartbeat, Harry was upon it, grasping the light cloth in his hand with wand ready to strike. But the face he met was not the dark lord's. A look of surprise and fear mingled on the pale visage of his archrival.

"Wh-what do you think you're _doing_, Potter?" The blonde shouted.

"Malfoy?" Harry released his captive, both surprise and disappointment filling him. "Er… Sorry, I thought you were someone else."

Relief washed over Draco. Harry had not realized the actions taken against him after all. "What are you doing here, Potter? Isn't it past your bedtime?"

Harry's nostrils flared and lips turned to a frown. "I don't have time to play with you today, Malfoy." He turned his back on him and started down the sinister alley.

"I'll have our mums arrange a play date then." Draco sneered, unable to hold back the vindictive attitude he'd always held against the hero.

Without hesitation, Harry wheeled around and hit his provocateur with a stunning spell. Malfoy hurled out of the narrow alleyway and landed with a sound of crushing glass.

"Git." Harry cursed with a disgusted glance at the boy struggling to sit up. '_There's no time for this. I have to get to Borgin and Burkes._' Draco's cutting eyes tore into Potter's back as the former Gryffindor ran off into the darkness.

'_The bottles are smashed._' The Slytherin winced at the glass shards cutting into his side. Scooping himself up gingerly, Draco felt liquid pour from his ribs down to his thighs. Standing was painful and uncertain. Every part of him trembled. '_A lesser wizard would be unconscious._' He mused as tears prickled at the brims of his eyes. The world was spinning in a gentle rhythm; speeding up gradually the longer he stood. And as it became more and more unbearable, the only relief he could find was the lukewarm wall of stone beside him. It has not yet lost the heat of the day, or succumbed to the eerie cool of further on.

Under his cloak, Draco grasped at his left side where he had secured the bottles in a secret strap. Looking down, all but one of the four was broken and piercing through his shirt. Delicately, each piece of glass was removed; blood oozing from each one. Malfoy examined every wound, groaning when he found one contaminated by potion. '_At least it wasn't the last one._' His pale lips could not manage a simper. Even at its entrance, Knockturn alley was the last place a wizard would choose to lose consciousness. But Draco did.

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**Koiame**: Well, that's it for this chapter. Hope to have the next one for you soon. Review if you have the time. じゃまた、ね。


	12. Chapter 12

**Koiame: **Having problems with my story traffic not recording hits and such. Kind of an off and on issue. So it's hard to tell sometimes whether or not anyone's reading. But at least I know from reviews and story alerts/favorites that you guys are there, so thank you very much!

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** grassandsafetypinsandthings (You're super awesome! You get a whole batch of imaginary chocolate chip cookies for making my day! ^.^ )

**Favorite Story Thank You(s) to:** boredom is a crime, cardfreak, cherry-chapstick14, El' Caliente, Futuremrslee, grassandsafetypinsandthings, lean238, Maybe Not All Tea And Crumpets, princesstinkerbell45, Serpentine Lion, thatyana cortez, and XForgottenXMemoryX. It is my distinct pleasure to write for you all. Thank you for all your interest. It has been a great source of encouragement for me. Domo! Danke! Gracias! Merci! Thanks!

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**Chapter 12: Seek**

A pesky pang of guilt nagged at Harry's conscience as he fled; his mind quelling such prickly feelings by writing the incident off as a justified non-event. '_He deserved it. Knowing him, he'll just slither back under the rock he came from._' The Gryffindor fumed; forehead pinched. '_Just 'business as usual' with Malfoy..._'

More present was an image of the dark wizard shop looming down the narrow way he had just turned onto. As if viewing a charcoal sketch, a black-grey sky framed the visage of Borgin and Burkes, laying it to somber ill. Its façade was filthy and windows – murky - as a product of its environment. Steps faltering, Harry came to an uneasy stop.

Just like the second-hand memories which brought him there, the light was seeping out of the stillness of that moment. A faint hint of familiar scent filled his breath. It was numbing, sweet, and implacable. '_What is that?_' Darkness swept across his eyes like an opaque lens; the same episode of lost consciousness threatening to crash upon him again. But this time, a heavy copper taste painted the back of his tongue, and his cheeks felt like stretched rubber bands. Inside his chest, the hero's heart thumped louder as its beating slowed.

'_Not now._' Harry pled; teeth grit. '_Not again… when Voldemort could be..._' Conscious thought stopped, but the plump, blurry stones of his surroundings clung to every whisper of reality. His body felt like rain, paused for the death of time. Gravity politely willed him to fall. Yet, the raven-haired boy fought that urge with all his might. The night seemed to enclose upon him. Eerie screams echoed through unseen chambers. A great stone ceiling molded itself to every stretch of sky.

There in the foggy illusion, Harry became aware of movement. Though still disoriented, he could still make out the edgeless outlines of other wizards who taunted him. Cold swept through him as he trembled without obvious reason. In the sharpening hazy world, the small body of a young girl lay twitching on the ground before him; her long black hair tangled in matted knots. '_What's going on?_' Harry panicked; his body unresponsive to commands to help her. It was as if he was looking through another's eyes; condemned to watch from their shadows.

"Finish her." A familiar, snakelike hiss poisoned his ears. "Prove your loyalty to your Lord."

'_No… It can't be…_' Harry's insides reeled. As commanded, Harry's pale hand lifted his wand shakily. Breathing was staggered and sweat poured down his face. '_What are you doing? Stop it! Stop it!_' The green-eyed wizard screamed at himself to stop. '_Don't hurt her!_'

"Av-Avada Kedavra." The words whispered tearfully from his dry mouth with a brilliant flash of green setting them alight.

"NO!" Harry screamed, eyes shut tight and body shaking. Voldemort's chilling laugh faded into darkness. Tears streamed down his face, falling into pools of water collecting around him. Dewy green eyes timidly opened, awaking to the dank alley from which his mind had wandered from.

Raindrops were falling swiftly from the heavens, caressing his still form. Every attempt the hero's mind made to convince him the vision he saw wasn't real failed; the memory of the little girl's helpless, tortured expression ripping into him deeper. Sickness wretched his stomach as he lay in the gathering streams of water. Sharp, stinging pain alerted the wizard to injury; chin being the worst case.

On scraped hands and knees, Harry managed to push himself up; remembering the danger that the dark lord's potential presence posed. Eyes searching, the messy-haired young wizard saw no one at all. Something was off. Harry expected a trap, but found no physical sign of one.

'_My scar doesn't hurt._' Able to think more clearly now, that peculiar detail drove a nail into his impressions. '_That's the difference._' Pondered Harry - shuddering.

On his feet now, Harry Potter grasped his wand tightly; unease fraying his nerves. Anger and sadness lumped in his throat, thinking of the girl he had been made to experience killing. '_It didn't happen physically, but it was real._' Harry was sure of it. Too many years had he denied his visions of Voldemort; dismissing them as dreams. The same mistake was not to be repeated.

Before him, the lights flickered out in Borgin and Burkes; closing time had come. Harry grimaced. The window of opportunity had been lost. If Voldemort was on Knockturn Alley, he did not linger there for long. After scanning every dark window in vain, the soaked young man decided to make his retreat. There was no telling when another vision would overtake him.

Harry's feet splashed and robes dragged in standing water as he hastily sought the illumination of Diagon Alley. Checking warily over his shoulder as he went, a pair of amber eyes startled him as they peered from behind a cart. "It's a cat." The wizard panted a sigh of relief as he stumbled. Head whipped back around, Harry corrected his step and hurried on. It was not until the mouth of Diagon Alley was in reach that the hero noticed a body slumped against the wall there.

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**Koiame:** Wow. That was a long chapter for this story. So hard to write it too! I had to cut it off there because I really wanted to get another chapter out to you guys. Hate to keep you all waiting. If I have too long of a chapter, it weighs on me, too. So I hope you enjoyed it and will try to get another one to you soon!


	13. Chapter 13

**Koiame: **Hey everyone! Thank you for your overwhelming interest/support. Quick important note that harborseal54 pointed out. I accidentally changed Harry's room number from eleven to nine starting at Chapter 5. Sorry! Hope you all weren't too confused by that recurrent error. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** **grassandsafetypinsandthings** (Yay, I took extra time for all the description. Glad to see it was worth it!), **harborseal54** x4 (1. How did spell check miss that one? My bad. 2. Omg, you're right. D: Sorry! I've had the number nine in my head because of another story I'm writing and I guess it just took over. 3. I want to say that Harry forgot about that potion, but in truth _I_ did. It's been a little while since I read book six. Good catch! 4. Cool. Here it is!), **Alt3etf** (I'm glad! Hope you like this chapter too!), **94931355** (Aw, well I'm glad you're enjoying it! Here is another chapter for you!)

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**Chapter 13: Rain**

"Malfoy?" Astonished Harry - noticing the glint of his rival's silver hair in the lamp light. '_He couldn't still be stunned?_'

With the distance closed between them, the raven-haired boy crouched down and nudged Draco's shoulder awkwardly. "C'mon Malfoy." Harry blew pesky, encroaching water drops from his own upper lip. As the rain poured down, its static noise murmured the crispness of fluid fluttering in shallow pools, filling the silence. '_Is he breathing?_' Concerned green eyes strained in the darkness for any sign of life. The still figure, under his watchful gaze, seemed more like an abandoned doll than human boy.

Softly, Draco's chest labored a small heave and nostrils flared mildly, indicating animation. Relief rippled over Harry's tensed features as he watched his rival's life, lived so simply and unpretentiously in that quiet moment. How happy he was that Malfoy drew breath. Yet, such an acknowledgment of compassion was merely light reflected on the surface of a deep reserve. The tiny, open-faced smile that worked its stealthy way to Harry's emotional surface was honest in its general relief, yet lacked true luster.

'_I guess I can't leave him here like this._' He sighed and hoisted Draco up; the unconscious wizard's left arm draped across Harry's shoulders. Staggering from the added weight, he grabbed Malfoy's side tight. Wet sleeves and loose fabric clashed oppressively with the boys' proximity.

'_What is that?_' The Gryffindor's fingers wormed around, finding themselves coated in warm, viscous fluid. Stumbling into the light of Diagon alley, Harry balked at his hand in horror. Crimson blood had covered it where he had held Draco close.

"Malfoy!" Harry shook him so that his head tilted back. "Malfoy, wake up. You're bleeding." Panic had once again returned. '_What should I do?_' The night was getting colder; the rain – sharper. Deciding it best not to waste a minute more, the hero bore Draco's full weight and shuffled heavily and hastily down Diagon alley.

'_Should I take him to St. Mungo's? Or Madame Pomfrey? Or Hermione?_' Harry's heart was racing; adrenaline sharpened his senses and quickened his thoughts. '_No, the Leaky Cauldron first. Tom'll be there._' A soft grunt snapped him from his thoughts. "Malfoy?" Harry tried again after no response. "Malfoy?"

"Fuck off, Potter." The half-conscious wizard mumbled slowly.

"Shut up, Malfoy." His voice shook angrily, brow furrowing. "You're bleeding, you prat."

A hush returned, the rain tapering off a bit while Harry carted his rival's body down the deserted way. Calm returned to the green-eyed boy; his worry alleviated by Draco's propensity for ire.

From distant clouds, thunder rumbled as lightening skipped about the sky. The foreboding nature of the present weather was not lost on Harry. In every flicker of shadow and irregular sound, he expected Voldemort. Perhaps it was even _he_ who wounded Malfoy so, the young wizard's fear whispered to him.

Ahead, the brick wall stood - shielding Diagon Alley from muggle minds. In the current state of affairs, parting the doorway was no easy feat. Letting go of Draco's left wrist, Harry's hand awkwardly pawed at his right pocket for his wand. With it found, the raven-haired 18 year old hastily tapped the correct brick combination just in time to wrangle Malfoy who had begun to slip through his one-armed grasp. Harry could make out a faint hiss escape Draco's lips as his wound was accidentally pressed against in the fumble.

"Sorry." The green-eyed Gryffindor gave an apologetic whisper. '_We're almost there._'

The back door of The Leaky Cauldron vibrated with sounds of laughter and talk. '_It'll be a mess to barge in like this._' Anxiety filled Harry. Memories of the previous chaos that ensued from public appearance were still fresh and daunting. This would have to be discrete – for Malfoy's sake of course.

"I'll be right back." Harry promised as he let Draco down gently against the wall. With a guilty heart, the hero's hand rested on the doorknob. Cloak covering his face, the door was opened and he ventured through.

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**Koiame:** Sorry this update has taken so long. I recently got a full time, yet temporary position and so have not had the energy or inspiration to devote to writing. But since I have off tomorrow for President's day, I figured I had some time to spare. Best wishes to you all, especially my readers in the Middle East and North Africa who are dealing with a lot right now. May you all be safe and well! Hopefully I will be able to update soon. If you have the time, reviews are always appreciated. Or if you enjoy this fan fic, please feel free to have a look at When the Fall Comes, another fan fic of mine that will be a bit longer than this one. Until next time…


	14. Chapter 14

**Koiame: **Yo! So, work has been killing me and sucking out my soul. Therefore I have not been able to write at all for the past two months. But I was just able to turn this out for you guys. Thank you for your patience. I hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** harborseal54 and grassandsafetypinsandthings.

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**Chapter 14: Real**

Behind the shrouds of consciousness, Draco Malfoy's waking mind had slipped to a vacant-corner world of no rain and no sight. Light and dark were mere concepts. Dreams held his mind. Shadows played games.

"_You owe him your life, Mr. Malfoy." Albus Dumbledore popped a small confection into his mouth as he rounded a polished table. His face never turned to Draco, who sat as if an observer watching a play. "How cruel it can seem for a hated enemy to show you kindness." The drawling old voice of the dead headmaster lamented in almost Shakespearean manner._

"_Shut up old man." The clawing sound of his aunt Bellatrix Lestrange's words pulled her from the void. "The boy doesn't need your quaint little sympathies." She spat as her robes materialized from black smoke._

"_Nor yours, Belatrix." Severus Snape slithered by, causing her to start._

"_Traitor! What are _you_ doing here?" She startled; shrieking with flustered rage._

"_None of us are really here." Narcissa spoke gently to her sister, a sad smile illuminating her dim eyes._

"_Sissy? Tell me you haven't forsaken the Dark Lord as well?" The pointed face of Bellatrix condemned._

"_The war is over, Bella." Draco's mother appealed._

"_The war is over? The war is _over_?" The death eater gave into hysterics, disbelieving her ears. "The war will _never_ be over, sister. Look at your own dear husband they've thrown away." She ran towards a lone prison cell containing a sunken-eyed Lucious Malfoy, wasting away in chains._

_Mrs. Malfoy's lips curved into a tiny frown as she wished back tears. Snape's hands came to rest on her shoulders as he comforted her._

"_Draco can undo all the shame. He can kill Potter. And there is dark magic yet that can bring back the Dark Lord." Mrs. Lestrange roared._

"_That's enough!" Severus hollered as his iron gaze pushed back her words._

"_She's right, you know." A small voice whispered in Draco's ear. "You have the power, Draco." Shivers pin wheeled up his spine. Fear would not permit the blonde to turn around and face the unspeakable evil surely there. "Do not dare fail me again."_

_Icy fingers kissed the nape of the young man's neck. Every cell of his body wanted to tear itself apart. Cold sweat chilled Draco's pale skin. _

"_Kill…" The slithering voice demanded as the dreamer's eyes closed to his inner world. _

Dully, the beat of the rain tapped against his eardrums. Draco's head throbbed and burned with chemical blaze. It was too much pain to open his eyes. Instead, the blonde lay there, suffering in quiet dignity.

Unintelligible whispers wrapped around his head like a shroud. His right hand, although numb, felt a squeeze of pressure that, once released, made him feel as if his whole arm should float away. But the thought escaped Draco as the stuttering sound of a wooden stool, dragged up beside him, turned his attention. With the roughness of a lion, the blonde-haired boy's forehead was dabbed at with wet cloth. The shaking made his head spin. The sensations were too much. Darkness spiraled around him as he lost hold of consciousness again.

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**Koiame**: That's if for now. I know it's short, but I wanted to give you all at least something. Really hope it all made sense to you that in the italic parts he was dreaming. Anyways, hope to have more in a week or two. Review if you want. Until next time.


	15. Chapter 15

**Koiame: **Sorry for the delay. I have been really busy. I hope this chapter at least kind of makes up for it. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** **harborseal54** (Thank you! Your kind review made my day! Glad it made sense, too. ^.^ I will do my best to update soon. I've just been wrapped up in so many things.), **grassandsafetypinsandthings** (Hope you enjoy this chapter even more!)

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**Chapter 15: Help**

All went quiet at about three in the morning - everyone had finally gone. Ever since Tom and Harry smuggled the wounded and tousled young gentleman under the whiskers of many a wizard to the refuge of room number eleven, a mad mix of people passed through. Hermione and Ron were called to help first. With them, Harry even managed to convince Madame Pomfrey to come along. Draco _was_ a former patient after all – albeit a troublesome one.

The nurse's face had been a mask of stern professionalism that sheltered her personal horror as she tended to her patient. Even Ron was shaken enough to hold his tongue at the time. Hermione, whose slender fingers fumbled nervously through potions references researching cures, had held a sliver of compassion in her heart for him, although it pained her to admit it.

As Harry refreshed the water basin used to towel Draco, he relived the tense chaos of the past six hours. The fresh memories filled the silence.

_The door had swung open with a dull crash._

"_Put 'im on the bed." The balding wizard advised Harry as he helped shoulder Malfoy's modest weight. The pair let the blonde down gently. Rain water soaked the sheets and mattress. Draco laid there pale and barely breathing. "Use the fireplace in my chambers." Tom thrust a key into Harry's hand. With only a quick nod, the hero of the wizarding world had disappeared through the open door. All sound was gone and white noise took its place._

_The next part was a blur of urgent words and hurried steps. Only ten minutes had passed, yet Harry found himself flanked by Hermione and Ron as they tore through the tower stairs leading to Hogwart's infirmary. In her night robes, the trio had found the school's only healer._

_After only a rough explanation of the situation, a magical fire was set in the chamber's hearth. Each with a dash of Floo powder, they made off for the Leaky Cauldron. With a jolt of pressure, they landed one-by-one. Floor boards creaked as they stepped out onto them. From a dresser top, a tabby cat watched intensely as the party arrived._

_Wading through a sea of rowdy guests, the foursome tried to be hasty yet made sure to not draw too much attention to them. Harry was sure at least a couple witches had seen his face, and was grateful that they had not made a fuss. With a little direction on Potter's part, they had arrived._

"_He needs to be brought to a hospital." Madame Pomfrey had looked around at the others imploringly after checking the blonde's vitals. _

"_We can't." Tom's wide eyes gleamed in the dim light of the room as he nervously rubbed his bald patch with his left palm._

"_Why not?" Harry had protested._

_Tom gave a long pause, choosing his words carefully. "He's a fugitive." Unease mottled flatfootedly around inside the innkeeper's stomach. "I've been harboring a wanted man all this time…"_

"_What do you mean 'wanted'?" Hermione's eyes had widened with surprise._

"_It was probably 'bout a month before Harry arrived. Some ministry blokes - they came around with a picture of 'im." Tom gestured towards Draco nervously. "Said he was expected in court an' didn't show an' that it'd be criminal if I gave 'im a room an' all."_

"_But you did anyway." Harry confirmed. Tom gave a small nod._

"_Well, what's done is done." Madame Pomfrey resolved. "What's more important is that we get him proper care."_

"_It's settled then." Said Ron, eyebrows raised in questioning of everyone's position on the matter._

"_Harry?" Hermione pressed._

_Meanwhile, translucent shadows were a haze covering the raven-haired boy's eyes. The shabby insides of what looked like Borgin & Burkes lay around him. One by one he saw himself put tiny glass bottles in a belt against his side._

"_Harry, are you alright?" His best friend inched closer in concern._

"_Yeah… fine. I…" He paused as his eyes looked to nowhere. Now he was on the street. Rain was threatening to fall. Then all of a sudden, there he was, Harry Potter, staring back at himself._

"_What's going on, Harry?" Hermione startled at the expression on his face._

_Then, all of a sudden, the fog lifted and the visions were gone. Puzzled, the emerald eyed young wizard stood there before he made an answer._

"_I can't explain it, but I think he's going to be okay. There were potions… on a belt there. A couple of the bottles must have broken."_

_Madame Pomfrey pulled aside Draco's cloak and gingerly lifted his shirt. A large area along his ribcage had turned red-purple and blood or something other oozed dark black from the gashes._

"_What is that?" Ron squealed in disgust._

_With a hushed murmur, the healer cast her spell – removing all the glass shards from his wounds. Blood spurted as a large piece was pulled free. Draco's body writhed in pain as he groaned. The broken fragments were placed in a small bowl and set on the night stand. With quickness and skill, the witch poured potions over the wound, monitoring their effects. After countless liquids and powders had no result, Madame Pomfrey came to the fourth to last she left to try. Like spider webs, wet orange strands coursed from the open bottle and entered the wounds. His skin became lighter at first, and then the red-purple turned to green. Then Draco's eyes opened and a flash of emerald light shown in them for but a moment before they closed again. Sound was vacuumed from the room, which gave comfort to none. Harry couldn't bare to look at the expression on Madame Pomfrey's face._

"_I do believe Mr. Potter's right. Mr. Malfoy does not require a hospital." She packed up her bag and set it aside. _

_Harry's head perked up as he and the room looked at her questioningly. The aged witch's face seemed made of stone._

"_It isn't poison." She breathed. "It could hardly be considered a potion, really."_

"_Then what is it?" Hermione panicked, unsettled by her tone._

_Lips sealed as tight as a vault door, it seemed as if Madame Pomfrey would never give an answer. But eventuality, she spoke, finding the words she sought. _

"_It's a curse." _

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**Koiame**: I hope you all liked. Hopefully I will have another chapter for you all soon. The italic part was what Harry was remembering as he filled the water in the basin, just in case that part was confusing. Please let me know what you think. Until next time then…


	16. Chapter 16

**Koiame: **Hey everyone! I have another chapter for you. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** **stupidamericanidioms91** and **harborseal54**. You guys rock! This chapter's for you guys for being awesome!

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**Chapter 16: Four**

A deep sigh shivered through Harry's muscles in the midst of his remembrance. A fresh towel sopped heavily in the clean water as it made its acquaintance. Inside the wizard struggled with prickling feelings brought on by helplessness. Yet in his virtuous green eyes lay quiet power – not from victories or pride - but drawn from the faith he entrusted in his friends; that somehow, they would find a way through this together. There just had to be something they could do; or so the Gryffindor believed.

Harry grimaced as he returned to his post at Draco's bedside. His charge's skin was otherworldly pale and lips perpetually tinted with the faintest hint of blue. Once again, the hero's thoughts wandered back - reliving every moment in search of answers.

"_A curse?" Confusion had wrapped around Harry._

"_Or from the looks of it - three." Pomfrey frowned._

"_I don't understand…" Harry paced. "How could a curse…"_

"_Curses." Ron corrected Harry absentmindedly. Obviously the red-head had spent too much time around Hermione and picked up a habit or two._

_The raven-haired wizard turned and gave his best friend a peeved look._

"_Sorry." The red-head whispered a meek apology._

"_How is it that 'curses' come in bottles now?" Harry repeated a little more hysterically._

"_There are a few methods... mostly ancient." Hermione finally spoke, no longer immersed in the book she held before her. "It would be impossible to know for sure which he used."_

"_Well, what _are_ these curses? I mean, what do they do?" The young witch merely shook her head, unable to answer Harry's questions. _

_The air became stagnant as Madame Pomfrey took a long moment to meditate on an explanation to give. Each person aged a little as the room shifted uncomfortably. Floor boards timidly creaked and whispered whines as they waited for words to fill their ears. Harry stood there almost defiantly, his hands bunched up in fists as he tensely waited._

_Before they could not bear the silence any longer, the healer recited a lesson she had been made to memorize in childhood. "Four horsemen set upon a task, to rip the seed from the flax; they chafed the body and raped the soul, cursed the heart and made a hole. But I - the last rider - took in kind, to halt all suffering, am the one ye find; merry meet we best of friends, by my hand, all life ends."_

"_W-What does that mean?" The pitch of Ron's voice could not have been any higher._

_Hermione's eyes darted around as she searched her mind for any trace of recollection. "I know I've heard that somewhere before."_

_Tom was staring at Draco; positively horrified._

"_What does it mean?" Harry flustered, looking boldly into Madame Pomfrey's eyes._

"_Mr. Potter," Pomfrey frowned, "there are no actions left to us…"_

"_There has to be something. We can't just watch Malfoy die." The hero stormed. Memories of so many deaths stung his heart; Sirius, Dumbledore, Snape, and too many others. But before them, the first was his mother, whose screams had haunted him so many nights._

_Madame Pomfrey plucked the only intact bottle from Draco's belt and examined its contents in the light. Once satisfied, she held it before Harry. "This curse withers the soul. It is the only curse of the four with which Mr. Malfoy has not been afflicted."_

_Ron swallowed hard, the thought of finding _that_ in his morning pumpkin juice unnerved him. "Well, that's good news, right?"_

"_The other three devastate the body, torment the mind, and, when you can bear no more, end your suffering." Madame Pomfrey stressed. "From these three curses came the three we call Unforgivable, and rightly so."_

"_The Unforgivable curses? That's what Malfoy…" Harry astounded._

"_Then… what about the last curse?" Curiosity compelled Hermione as she eyed the bottle of pale essence._

_The healer scowled. "I cannot imagine the dark purpose Mr. Malfoy had in possessing these." She breathed. "Any of the other three are unforgivable. But this - to use all four - would damn the victim to such an unspeakable fate."_

"_Please Madam Pomfrey… what is it?" Harry persisted._

_The matron shook her head but relented. "It's a kiss."_

_Confusion graced each face. _

_The old witch's mouth twisted as if tied in knots, almost unwilling to say another word. _

_"A Dementor's kiss." She said.  
_

Harry let the wash cloth drift away in the basin after he had finished toweling Draco's skin. The sky was lightening outside as the dawn approached them. With tired eyes he gazed through the window, wondering what this day would bring.

With damp, fatigued fingers, Harry worked on each button of the clean pajamas he lent to cover the Slytherin. In a moment, they were all done. Draco had not reacted at all for quite some time. His tiny breaths were all that told he was alive.

Harry examined his own hands, and sighed in relief at finding them ordinary. Satisfied, he pulled the covers up over Draco's chest and rested his own forehead on the edge of the mattress in front of his chair.

'_Hopefully they'll find something._' Harry thought sleepily. His mind drifted off to thoughts of his friends pouring over books in dusty libraries or wherever their searching took them. How he longed to be with them. But someone had to stay, and there was no reason for him to go.

As the sun peaked over the houses, Harry lay sound asleep.

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**Koiame**: That's it for now. Hope you enjoyed. Please review if you did. Will try and work on some more, but can't promise when it'll be ready. Thank you for your patience!


	17. Chapter 17

**Koiame**: Hi everyone. I am very sorry it has been a year already since my last update. I truly love writing for you all. But this past year has been very hard for me. I lost my canine brother almost a year ago, and I have gone back to get an advanced degree at university. Things are crazy. I always said writing is my therapy, and it is, but I have found through the trials of this past year that sometimes you need time before you can even start to work on making things better. So… with that, please forgive me for my absence. And thank you all for your understanding. I hope this chapter finds you all well.

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. **18+**

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** **Violent Words **(Thanks!)**, grassandsafetypinsandthings (x2)** (Aw, thank you very much!)**, harborseal54** (Haha, don't worry I won't get too biblical on you guys. Just thought it kind of fit well with the story.)**, stupidamericanidioms91 **(Sorry to make you wait! Hope you enjoy anyway.)**, **and **MalfoyMaladyoftheDark **(Glad you are enjoying the story. I hope that it lives up to your expectations!). Seriously, thank you all!

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**Chapter 17: Feel**

The black sea had swallowed his vision. It was tumultuous and swelled freely, like liquid fire. Lightning flashed as brightly as sunlight, but there was no thunder. The wind did not howl. Not a single rumbling of the chaos found him. Even his breath was an inaudible whisper.

Draco could not say where he was or even how he came to linger there. The silence suffocated him and dulled his mind. But the more he thought about the quietness, the greater his need to end it became. With all his yearning and willing, the wizard commanded his body to reach out and feel the cool waters below him. He needed to prove his existence. Any sensation would do. But the vast expanse of mercurial darkness was beyond him. So close. A lifetime beyond his finger tips that he could only imagine. But as the crests of the black waves teasingly jumped up and licked at the pale skin of his outstretched hand, Draco's heart broke as he realized that the waves were only wisps of shadows he could not touch. The void filled his pale blue eyes with an antique sort of sadness.

'Help me.' The wizard's mind spoke softly into the silence.

The shame of Draco's helplessness dug at the last vestiges of his pride. Hopeless, he let himself slip; deeper into a state of delusion and nightmare.

Harry awoke gently from his dreamless sleep as cold shivers prickled his scalp. It was as if a cup of ice had been dumped on his head. Groggy, the raven-haired wizard tilted his head up towards his sleeping patient. As he did this, he felt the solid anchor of coldness, entwined in his own hair, caress Harry's cheek accidentally. Realization struck the wizard as he bolted upright in his chair.

'That coldness…' The green-eyed wizard started. 'Malfoy!'

Instinctively, Harry grasped Draco's ice-cold hand and studied his rival's breathing. It did not seem like much had changed. But if the Slytherin had reached out to him - the Gryffindor thought - then he must have been conscious!

"Malfoy." He shook his arm in an attempt to rouse him. "Wake up, Malfoy."

This time, the wizard took the sleeping boy by the shoulders and shook him. But nothing happened. Harry combed his fingers though his messy hair as he backed off, and instead paced the room. He hated that helpless feeling. He seethed at his own negligence of Draco as he slept.

"How can there be _nothing_ I can do?" The wizard yelled, frustrated.

Draco groaned in pain. Harry's heart fluttered. In an instant, the Gryffindor was by his bedside.

"Malfoy!" He implored.

Disappointment returned just as surely as the tide rolls back into the shore. Clenching his jaw, the young wizard looked down to where Draco's hand lay empty on his bed. A strange and suspicious feeling crawled around inside Harry's chest as he grasped Malfoy's hand once again. The consciousness of that action excited him more than he could admit to himself. But those thoughts would have to wait, he realized. All his strength was leaving him. As darkness consumed Harry, the last thing he felt was falling forward on Draco's unconscious form. Somewhere in the darkness, Harry could hear a terrifying scream.

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**Koiame**: Well, that's it for now. I hope to be able to update this story, as well as some of my other ones, frequently during this summer. Thank you!


	18. Chapter 18

**Koiame**: Here goes another chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it!

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** **harborseal54** (Thanks for sticking with me! It makes me feel relieved. Thanks for your understanding and encouragement. Here's another healthy dose of my therapy sessions for you, lol. This one's for you and everyone who's stuck by me.)

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**Chapter 18: Fate**

Crackling yellow sparks bristled Harry's eyelashes as the brilliant green windows to his soul emerged from the darkness. Fiendish shadows cast by dim light slid over stone walls. It was all so familiar, the Gryffindor thought.

As soon as his eyes regained their focus, Harry's heart stopped. A young girl lay twitching on the floor, chest heaving in tearful gasps. Her pink night dress was wet and covered in dirt from the dusty floor.

Reflexively, Harry made to go and help her. He yelled exasperatedly as he struggled to move from his spot. As hard as the hero tried, something had a hold on him. It seemed that there was no moving from his seat against the cold, damp wall.

"Hey!" He called out.

She didn't react. Footsteps drew the young wizard's attention away from the girl for the first time. Out from the darkness, the sunken, taut expression of Bellatrix Lestrange emerged. Harry felt his blood boil as his hands searched for his wand.

"Draco." She circled the girl, carelessly waving her wand around meaninglessly. "Again."

Harry's eyes searched the darkness for any sign of Malfoy. Off to the right, barely camouflaged by the shadows, the young Slytherin fell to his knees. An endless amount of horror circled his bluish grey eyes.

"Get off your knees." Bellatrix glowered at her nephew. "NOW!"

Shakily, Draco complied. Harry noticed the paleness of his rival's face and the trembling of his clenched fists. The blonde raised his wand and pointed it at the little girl.

"Stop! Don't do this Malfoy!" The raven-haired wizard pleaded, unnoticed.

"Avada k-kedavra." Draco waved his wand. A jet of green light shot from it and hit the girl.

Stillness fell. Bellatrix's wide eyes stared at the motionless body before them. A faint smile slowly crept across her wicked face. Harry's frantic gaze darted between the girl and Malfoy, who looked dead on his feet. Sweat pasted loose strands of white-blonde hair against Draco's wrinkled brow. He had actually done it. He _killed_ her.

The soft whistling sound of swiftly sucking breath shook the girl's fragile body. She was still alive, it seemed. Harry watched as relief seemed to wash over Draco's face for a split second. Eyes downcast at the floor in front of him, the blonde dared not look at his aunt.

"Crucio!" Bellatrix shrieked.

Draco collapsed to the floor convulsing in agony. His wand clattered noisily as it hit the floor.

"You're going to do it until you get it right." She said forcefully.

From the floor, Draco let out a small, undignified whimper. Vexed by his display of weakness, Lestrange cursed him once again. Harry pushed and tried desperately to pry himself away from his seat.

"Malfoy!" Harry shouted. Once he found his wand, he promised himself, he would curse her into oblivion.

"Shut up, Potter."

If Harry could have moved, he felt like he would have jumped out of his skin. At his left, sitting against the same wall as him, was Draco Malfoy. Astonished, the Gryffindor did a double take between the Draco being tortured and the Draco that had been sitting beside him all along. Before he could say anything, the weary Slytherin spoke again.

"Why are _you_ here, Potter? Come for a laugh?" His grey eyes pierced through Harry.

"No." The dark-haired boy replied, off-guard.

"Saint Potter. Too-good-for-death Potter!" Draco spat. "Of course you'd be here to torture me."

Thoroughly confused, Harry let the words soak in. 'Where are we?' He now wondered. It was hard to remember anything before this.

"Where are we, Malfoy?"

Draco's expression was incredulous. After a moment's consideration, he flatly replied.

"I don't know."

Harry looked around the room once more. "Is this one of your memories?"

The blonde didn't reply. Instead, he watched as his 'loving' aunt pulled his other self up by the collar. This wasn't just a memory, Draco thought, it was one of _those_ memories. The time he had spent as a Death Eater was full of them.

"Malfoy." Harry pulled Draco's focus back.

"You're not even real, so why should I answer you?" The Slytherin snarled. "Just leave me alone."

"Of course I'm real, you prat!"

"Filthy scar-head…"

"Bloody ferret!"

"Go die, Potter!"

The pair glared at each other after the exchange. Beyond Draco, Harry began to notice a strange outline appear on the far wall. Forehead knitted, the Gryffindor watched as a pristine white door solidified.

"Malfoy, what's that?" Harry distractedly pointed out.

Draco cautiously turned his head to look. On the door, the word 'Exit' scrawled across it neatly in red paint. It was an eerie sight.

"Have you seen that before?" Harry asked.

"No!" Draco huffed impatiently.

Memories were starting to come back to the dark-haired wizard. He remembered looking after Malfoy – and about the curses, too. But that still didn't answer any of his questions. Harry shifted uncomfortably. Realization hit him square on. He was free to move!

Harry leapt up and moved away from the wall. Catching on quickly, Draco followed suit. The pair awkwardly avoided getting close to anything.

"Why, all of a sudden…" Harry trailed off.

Draco shook his head.

Like a mirage, Bellatrix, the other Malfoy, and the young girl all faded away. Even the stone walls were disappearing. Only the white door remained unchanged.

"Potter…" Panic filled Draco's chest.

"The door, quickly!" Harry stumbled backward towards it.

"But we don't know what's…"

"There's no time!" Harry rushed past Malfoy and pulled at the door knob. "It won't open!"

Draco backed up to the door. "Open it, Potter!"

"I can't!" Harry yelled as he tugged at it.

Shoving the Gryffindor out of the way, Draco grasped the knob and turned it forcefully. The door swung violently open and the blonde helplessly followed it through the doorway.

"Malfoy!" Harry yelled, jumping after him.

The landing was soft, yet painful. Winded, the green-eyed boy searched for his glasses with his free hand.

"Potter…" A strained voice pleaded from under him.

Spectacles recovered, Harry put them on and faced the grimacing Slytherin beneath him. The dark-haired wizard propped himself up on his hands, still looking down at Malfoy. Strange sensations washed through Harry as he noted their proximity.

"Well, are you going to get off me?" Draco snapped.

The Gryffindor automatically did as he was told, too puzzled to think clearly. The blonde-haired young wizard stood up as gracefully as he could manage, avoiding Harry's awkward, bewildered stare. They had ended up in a hallway, Draco noticed, but it was unlike anything he had ever seen. The carpet had to be muggle-made, as the wizard noted - a hodgepodge of colors woven together in a way the Malfoy heir found truly distasteful. The walls were white-washed, providing a stark contrast to the gloomy stone of the dungeon they left.

"Where is this?" Harry asked.

Draco noticed that he was no longer being gawked at. Annoyed, he replied, "How should I know? Quit asking me stupid questions, Potter." The blonde rubbed his forehead. Harry trained his eyes back on Draco.

"What?" Malfoy asked, testily. "Why do you keep staring at me like that?"

Harry paused.

"You're cursed." He finally said.

"What?" Draco looked confused.

"The vials you had strapped to your waste," Harry frowned, "they smashed."

The raven-haired boy hoped that Malfoy would get the idea without him having to go over the details. He really did not want to remind the blonde that he had been the one who had hit him with the spell that probably caused the vials to smash and pierce Draco. Luckily for Harry, his words did seem to jog his rival's memory.

"A-All of them?" Draco's frightened expression was alarming.

"No." Harry swallowed hard. "Three. Only three of them broke."

Malfoy swayed on the spot before he steadied himself.

"Which one didn't break?" He whispered.

Harry didn't know how to answer. He had never been told the actual name for the curse. He couldn't even clearly remember what color the liquid was. All he could recall was the conversation with Madam Pomfrey and that bloody rhyme, or whatever it was.

"The soul." Harry responded, fidgeting. "The Dementor's kiss in a bottle."

Draco turned his back to Harry. The weight of his fate fell heavily on him. The blonde wasn't sure whether he should be grateful that his soul would not be destroyed, or consumed by the overwhelming fear of certain death.

"Malfoy?" Harry uneasily put his hand on Draco's shoulder. "We're going to find a way to fix this. Everyone's looking for a way to stop the curses-"

"You _can't_ stop them!" Draco shouted.

Malfoy spun around and knocked Harry's hand away. Anger was the only thing sustaining him; distracting him from the horrifying reality that he was suddenly forced to accept.

"We will." Harry insisted. "Everything will-"

A ringing sound in his ears made the Gryffindor stop mid-sentence. Draco stood there, looking almost concerned. Harry felt less solid and less present.

"Potter?" Grey eyes swept over him. Draco's voice was muffled. "Potter?"

Harry felt his head dip back. His stomach churned as he felt the darkness twist him around in knots. Malfoy and the hallway were gone. His whole body ached worse than it had after any Quidditch practice he could remember.

"Harry!"

He felt someone shaking him. Harry couldn't help but groan in pain as he was pushed back into a chair. Eyes opening to the harsh light coming from outside, he could clearly hear the voices of his friends and see their outlines fretting over him.

"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked.

"Y-Yeah." He responded, weakly.

"Thank goodness!" A sigh of relief escaped her.

Harry looked around, still lightheaded and wobbly. Ron was beside him, holding him upright. Hermione, her face twisted in concern, was sitting on the edge of the bed in front of him.

"What happened?" She asked.

Harry rested his head in his hands. It would sound crazy, but he was sure what he had seen was real and not a dream. He couldn't explain why. No, he thought. He knew it was real, just like those other times had been real. The visions of someone in Knockturn Alley and running into Malfoy there had been no coincidence, Harry realized.

"I think I was in Malfoy's head."

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**Koiame**: Wow! That was a very long chapter by my usual standards! I hope you guys enjoyed. If you can, please leave a comment to let me know if I'm doing alright. I can say that I really loved writing this chapter. It was pretty exciting to be writing freely again. Until next time then? I'll try not to keep you all waiting too long. Ja mata, ne.


	19. Chapter 19

**Koiame**: Thank you all for making this my happy place. Here is another chapter for you guys. Hope you all enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** **harborseal54** (Aw, well thank you. I hope some of the other stories you're following get updated, too. I'm still waiting on amazing stories from 2005 to be updated, so I understand how it is. And welcome back to , too!) and **Malfoy Unforgiven** (I love your Pen Name. It makes me think wonderfully naughty things about a certain Slytherin and Gryffindor pairing. Hehe. Thank you for reading. Please enjoy this new chapter.)

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**Chapter 19: Ache**

"What?" Hermione paused. "Are you _sure_ you're alright, Harry?"

"It's true, Hermione." Harry pleaded. "I know it sounds crazy-"

"_No_." Ron said, sarcastically.

Harry shot his friend a sobering look.

"But I guess it wouldn't be the weirdest thing that's ever happened to you." Ron added, abashed.

The red-head buried his hands in his pockets and looked around the room. Satisfied with his friend's veiled assurance, the raven-haired wizard smiled modestly. Turning his attention back to Hermione, he was unsurprised to find her expression unchanged.

"It's not that we don't believe you, it's just…" She said, unsure. "Harry, why would you have been in Malfoy's head? It's- It's just..."

She ceased her floundering, considering Draco's state a moment. Her question was one Harry was having a hard time with himself. How would he convince Hermione and Ron when _he_ didn't even understand it properly? Harry rubbed his eyes. The pain all over his body had left, leaving only fatigue in its aftermath.

"I've been getting visions." Harry said. At this, Hermione and Ron's expressions deadpanned. Realizing his mistake, Harry added quickly. "It's not like that. It's not Voldemort… I'm positive."

The green-eyed wizard mentally kicked himself. 'Great start, Harry…' He thought. Luckily, the tension in the room relaxed somewhat with Harry's clarification. The attentive couple waited for their friend to continue. With a sigh, the Gryffindor recounted all the strange things that had happened to him since he arrived at The Leaky Cauldron, including this latest adventure into Malfoy's head. When he had finished, Hermione appeared to be taken aback and Ron was positively dumbstruck.

"That makes absolutely no sense!" The brown-haired witch's patience burst at last. She got up and paced the room, obviously trying to work out how any of that would be possible. Finally, Hermione came to a stop, whipping around to pry Harry for further information.

"Why would you and Malfoy be connected? I mean, you had a vision that caused you to run into him!" She said.

Harry merely nodded, knowing his friend was just getting started.

"If you had these visions before running into Malfoy, then it would have nothing to do with the curses afflicting him now." She gestured over to Draco. "I've never heard of anything like this. Well, except for with you and…"

Hermione palled. Harry and Ron exchanged a look, wondering what was going through her head. After a short while, she shook her head dismissively, brown curls licking at her shoulders. When Hermione returned to her seat on the edge of the bed, Harry felt uneasy in her silence. Just when he thought he could not wait for her to quietly sort things through any longer, she lifted her gaze to look straight into Harry's eyes. They were a bold, yet warm shade of brown, he was reminded.

"That night, when Voldemort first attacked you…"

The wizards wondered nervously where her line of thought would take them.

"Yeah, what about it?" Harry asked.

She fidgeted. "Well, I'm not positive, but I think it might be something similar." Hermione continued. "The killing curse rebounded and you could see Voldemort's thoughts because there was a piece of his soul that latched onto you."

"No!" They all turned to Ron, who was almost breathless. "We are not doing that again! Not with any Lord Voldemorts… or _Lord_ Malfoys or-"

"I know, Ron!" Hermione shut him down. "Harry, I don't think there's a piece of Malfoy's soul inside you."

"Good!" Harry flushed, somewhere between embarrassed and irate.

"It's just… those cursed potions that he had with him, what do you think they were for?" Hermione said, letting the significance sink into every word.

"I-I don't know. He's Malfoy, isn't he?" Harry supposed.

"The slick git _would_ have stuff like that lying around." Ron added.

Hermione shook her head.

"Those curses were meant for someone." She reasoned. "Maybe you, Harry."

The green-eyed wizard was incredulous. Why would Malfoy try to kill him? And if he was out to kill him, the Slytherin would have just sent a few unforgivable curses his way, right?

"Hermione," Harry said. "Malfoy would have nothing to gain from killing me. And even if those curses were meant for me, that doesn't explain why I keep tagging along with him in his mind."

"I know." She defended. "I told you none of this makes much sense. But, it has to be more than just coincidence that he had those potions with him – and that he's _here_ of all places – just when you start hopping into his head."

Harry took a deep breath. "You're right. It is a weird coincidence."

Hermione bit her lip softly. She had hoped that all the strange and worrisome trials of the past were finally over. No such luck, she breathed. The room had gone quiet again. Harry, his green eyes wandering the floorboards, was lost for words. Ron, who was leaning against the desk, was quietly sneaking a fruit tart from the care package his mother made him deliver. Noticing this, Hermione gave him a reproachful stare.

"Honestly, Ron." She huffed.

"Food for thought." His cheeks reddened.

Despite himself, Harry chucked. Ron grinned at him.

"For goodness sake!" Hermione flustered.

"Sorry." The boys mumbled.

"So, did you find anything at the library?" Harry refocused.

"No." Hermione admitted.

"Oh."

"But, we still might. Madam Pomfrey is still working on the medical texts." She tried to boost his spirits.

Harry simply nodded.

"How-How exactly does it work, Harry?" She asked a moment later.

"Honestly, I don't know. The first time, I was just taking a break from studying. I didn't really do anything different. The last time, I went to check on Malfoy and everything went black." He explained.

"Hm. When you checked on him, did you touch him at all?" Hermione asked.

"I- Well, I might have touched his arm… to shake him a bit. It seemed like had moved when I was asleep, so I wondered if I could wake him up." Harry tried to hide his uneasiness. It was a rather awkward question, he thought. The Gryffindor could not even fathom telling his two best friends that he had held Malfoy's hand, for any reason.

She seemed to appraise him. Perhaps she even sensed he was holding something back. But Hermione was good enough not to press the matter.

"I think you should try to contact Draco again. Go back into his mind. Then you can ask him what he did." She argued.

"Are you mad?" Ron almost dropped his second tart. "Send Harry back… Hermione, what if something goes wrong? What if… what if he gets trapped in Malfoy's head?"

"I know, Ron." The clever witch said. "But it seems like it's going to happen eventually, whether we like it or not. If Harry can find a way to control this, he might be better off. And besides, there is not much we can do if we don't know what we're up against."

By the end of her case, she rested her head in her hands, elbows propped up on her thighs. Harry leaned back in his chair. Hermione had a point, he knew.

"Alright." Harry consented, head still tilted back and staring at the ceiling. "But I have a very bad feeling about this."

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**Koiame**: Thank you for reading! Please review and let me know what you think about the story so far. I will try and keep these updates coming. Until next time then!


	20. Chapter 20

**Koiame**: Wow, twenty chapters already? Awesome! Thank you for reading! Here is an extra super duper long chapter for you all! And please feel free to check out any of my other recent stories and comment on them as you like. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** **harborseal54** (As always, thank you for reviewing! I hope this chapter satisfies some of your curiosity. All the best to you! ^.^)

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**Chapter 20: Deal**

Two hours after the scorching sun finally set, Harry was still at it, trying to keep his mind clear of thoughts and distractions so he could slip into Draco's subconscious again. But the harder he tried, the more impossible the task seemed.

A pesky grumbling noise from his stomach reminded him of skipped meals and nagging anxieties. His friends' anticipation, too, was ever present in his restless thoughts. Their nervous glances weighed heavily, even with his eyelids shut tight. But more than Hermione and Ron, or even hunger, the feelings nipping at him were the most distracting.

If Harry was nervous to going back to that hallway again, with the faint smell of mildew and rotting firewood that clung to the back of his throat, than he was even more so of the memories themselves. How did the scene Harry witnessed compare to others floating around in there? Those other doors - he thought warily - they most likely contain more horrors from Malfoy's past.

The doorknob clicked and admitted someone into the room. Harry reflexively snapped his eyes open. In shuffled Tom with a tray laden with food, a pitcher, and all the proper accoutrements they would need. A deep frown was carved on the innkeeper's face and dark circles underscored tired eyes. With a nod, he set their dinner down upon the desk and hastily excused himself.

Hermione closed the book she had contented herself with and joined Ron in fixing plates for the three of them. A moment later, Hermione offered Harry a plate which he accepted reluctantly, unsure if he could actually stomach beef with gravy right then. During dinner, his friends filled in the silence with idle chatter, Hermione doing most of the talking and Ron nodding every once and a while as he chewed.

"When did Pomfrey say she would stop by?" Harry abruptly interrupted.

Hermione checked her wrist watch.

"Ten." Ron mumbled with his mouth full.

"It's almost half past nine now." Hermione said.

Harry nodded, absentmindedly rubbing his knees. He had a million questions lined up for the healer. Had she found anything to lessen the potions' effects? What precisely was happening to Malfoy? On the surface, the blonde appeared to be unharmed, now that the wounds on his side had been magically mended. The bruising had gone, too. Even when he was in Malfoy's head, he felt no pain, Harry thought. The effects couldn't be purely psychological, could they?

Distractedly, he shook his head. Malfoy's placid expression would seem to suggest that, but the intuitive Gryffindor had strong doubts. Even now, as Harry took inventory of Draco's condition, dull twinges sewed their way down his own spine. Harry couldn't help but wonder if he was feeling some of the pain that was meant for the blonde.

Twenty minutes passed, and Harry was starting to feel better. He had even managed to eat most of his dinner. The nomadic bristles of pain had finally stopped. The raven-hair youth sighed softly to himself, hoping Draco was feeling better too.

The room had gone quiet once again. Noticing this, Harry looked up from his plate. Hermione was starting at him, her expression somewhat unraveling. Putting his plate aside, he began to ask her what was wrong.

"Harry…" She preempted.

Ron was now looking at him with the same puzzled expression. Harry thought his friends looked like parents trying not to alarm a child who was hurt, but had not noticed. Reflexively, he searched his body for anything off.

"What?" He asked.

Hermione swallowed hard.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Fine." He blinked. "Why?"

"You've… got a bit… just there…" Ron touched his own upper lip.

Harry brushed his fingers underneath his nose. Startled, he looked at the back of his hand, now covered in warm blood. Quickly, he pinched his nose and grabbed his napkin from dinner. So he had a nosebleed, Harry thought, nothing serious.

"Harry, I want you to tell me exactly how you feel right now. Tell me what you've been thinking about. Anything that is different." Hermione approached him carefully.

"Nothing…" Harry insisted. "I've felt the same since I woke up. Well, except for this."

The raven-haired wizard dabbed at his nose with the napkin, mildly frustrated by her fretting. Truth be told, Harry now felt a little wearier, perhaps from the blood. But the nagging pain he had felt was gone.

"I feel great, honestly. I was a bit sore earlier, but now I'm fine."

Hermione whipped her wand out. With a flick, a jet of white light shot from her wand and hit Harry on the arm. Instinctively, he jumped to his feet, knocking over his chair in the process.

"What was _that_ for?" He shouted

"Does your arm hurt?" Hermione asked calmly, lowering her wand.

'_She's lost her nut._' That was the only explanation Harry could come up with.

He replied, slightly hysterical. "If I say 'no', are you going to try and hex me again?"

"It was just a stinging jinx, Harry." She replied.

"Oh, well that's fine then." Harry quipped.

"You didn't feel that?" Hermione ignored the comment.

The wizard paused. "No…"

"I thought so." She said to herself and sat back down.

"Hermione?" Ron pressed. "What was that about?"

"Ron, his nose is bleeding like a faucet! And his eyes… well, he hasn't even noticed. He's been pulling faces all day from the pain, but now... I _had_ to be sure-" Hermione nattered.

"What's wrong with my eyes?" Harry interjected.

Ron and Hermione shifted awkwardly. Seeing their reluctance, Harry took off for the bathroom, swinging its door open hastily. With his wand retrieved from his pocket, he faced the mirror.

"Lumos." The small room flooded with light.

The sight that met Harry in his own reflection chilled the blood in his veins. Instead of the vibrant green gaze that usually met him, pitch black eyes pierced through him. It wasn't the color change that unnerved him, per se. In the depths of his eyes, he could sense something inescapable threatening to overpower him.

"Hermione…" He called out.

A wave of dizziness caused Harry to reel. The next thing he knew, Ron and Hermione were outside the doorway. Ears ringing, he gripped the sink tightly.

"It's happening again, isn't it?" Harry groaned, shutting his eyes.

"I think so." Hermione said softly.

"This time it feels different though." He trembled. "Before, I just… slipped. I didn't realize-"

Ron grabbed Harry as he faltered. "Alright, mate?"

With one arm hoisted over Ron's shoulders, Harry was pulled out of the bathroom and guided back to his righted perch. The dark-haired wizard's head dragged back and forth as he barely propped himself up. Faint shadows whispered through his head.

"Ron… Hermione…" He called, desperately.

The red-head grabbed Harry by the arm and held him still. Hermione, now a blurry image before Harry's eyes, rushed to his side.

"You're going to be alright." She said. "Just remember to ask Malfoy-"

"You _know_ something… You know something that you're not telling me." Harry cut in. He couldn't make out his friends' expressions, but their silence told him enough. The Gryffindor felt like he was being washed out to sea. Emotions ebbed and flowed at their whim.

"Harry, it's going to be alright." Hermione's voice was getting further away.

Fear grated his insides. An all-too-familiar darkness led him astray.

"Potter?" A voice called out to Harry.

Slowly, the Gryffindor became aware of the hard ground beneath him, and to his dismay a smell of wood and mildew seized his sinuses. Light greeted his tired eyes as he opened them. A groan escaped his chest.

"Potter!" The voice repeated forcefully.

"What?" Harry managed, sitting up slowly.

"Where have you been?" Draco Malfoy was staring at him demandingly.

The Gryffindor grumbled, unappreciative of the Slytherin's tone.

"I've been out of your mind." Harry quipped.

Draco scoffed indignantly, but said nothing. Instead, he looked warily down the corridor at all the closed doors.

"So, what have you been up to?" The delivery felt unnatural, but then again he couldn't remember ever having a normal conversation with Malfoy.

"Sitting in a filthy muggle hallway..." Draco answered poignantly. "… cursing your existence."

"Charming." Harry rolled his eyes, sitting himself against the opposite wall. "So, how many doors have you gone through?"

The blonde glared. Truth be told, Draco was terrified at the idea of opening another door. But the Slytherin would never admit it out loud.

"None. I don't see the point." He sniffed.

"So you'd rather just sit in this creepy hallway forever then, got it." Harry stood.

"What do you think you're doing, Potter?" Draco eyeballed him.

"Maybe something in one of these rooms can help."

"So help me, Potter… If you lay even a finger on one of those doors, I'll murder you." The blonde threatened.

"With what?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to murder me with a doorknob?"

"If I have to." Draco said, icily.

There was something in Malfoy's reply that made Harry uneasy. Sure Hermione had said she thought the Slytherin was trying to kill him, but that couldn't be true, could it? Draco didn't have it in him…

"Malfoy…" Harry stopped, thinking better of asking him that question outright.

Out of the corner of his eye, a figure caught Draco's attention. Turning his head, the blonde saw a cloaked figure standing at the very end of the hall. Noticing this, Harry followed Malfoy's gaze. Draped in black shrouds, the profile of man or monster spoke of dark intentions. Heavy steps drew it closer. The hair on the nape of Harry's neck bristled.

"P-Potter…" Draco sprung to his feet.

A pale white hand emerged from under the figure's coverings only to plunge itself into folds of its clothing. Harry was puzzled by this, only to step back warily the next moment. Its hand now revealed a dagger, ready for use.

"Do you have a wand?" Harry asked, frantically searching for his own.

"No."

"Right. 'Course not." Harry started pulling at door handles.

"Potter!" Draco yelled.

"Stuff it, Malfoy!" Harry snapped.

The blonde froze, watching the armed figure draw closer. This was it. He was going to die there. Numb acceptance fluttered inside of him. It was better than drawing it all out, Draco thought. And at least this way Potter wouldn't see everything. At least, he convinced himself, some of his pride would be preserved by his death. Eyes shut, the defeated wizard stood still, hands balled up into sweaty fists.

"Malfoy! What the hell are you doing?" Harry yelled, his frantic attempts to find an escape route failing. "Snap out of it!"

"Just leave me alone. Get out of my head." Draco spoke, as calmly as he could manage. "I don't want your help."

A punch to the face sent the blonde backwards. Eyes wide and mouth bleeding, Malfoy was livid.

"Fuck off, Potter! This is none of your concern." He barked.

"Are you daft? We're about to be murdered. How is this…" Harry flipped. "Open one of these doors! _Now!_"

The raven-haired wizard wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. Lifting Draco up by his collar, he dragged him to the closest door. The blonde struggled out of Harry's grasp.

"I don't care if you die, Potter." Draco huffed, fixing his robes.

"Malfoy…" Harry argued. "Quit being a prat! That thing is really going to kill us!"

The figure was now only a few yards away.

"Please…" The green-eyed wizard pled; the desperation raw in his voice.

Draco was shaky, but willing himself to hold together. Eyes downcast, he walked to stand in front of Harry.

"You have to promise me you'll keep your eyes closed." He said, feeling vulnerable and naked, hating himself.

"Fine. Whatever you want…" The raven-haired wizard insisted. "Now open the door!"

The figure was only a few feet away. Draco opened the door behind Harry, pushing them both through. After they were clear, the door shut itself, leaving them in complete darkness.

"Malfoy?"

Harry reached his arms out, searchingly. It had gotten very cold around them, and the sound of fresh snow crunched beneath their feet. Peeking from the clouds, a thin sliver of moon hung in the sky. Far in the distance, tiny lights flickered from a two-story house.

"Potter." Draco whispered.

"I'm here." Harry replied.

The blonde found him. His hand grasped Harry's arm tightly.

"You promised." Malfoy said, his face now close enough to see Harry. "Eyes closed, Potter."

"Fine." Harry said. "But you're not leaving me behind."

The Gryffindor grabbed Draco's wrist. Prying away from the blonde's grip, Harry slipped Draco's hand into his own.

"What the fuck do you-"

"Shut up, Malfoy…" Harry snapped, closing his eyes. "Just lead the way."

Draco couldn't believe it. Holding _hands_ with Harry Potter? The Slytherin tried to tug himself away. Harry held on tighter.

"Potter, _let me go_!"

"No." The Gryffindor kept his eyes closed. "If you let go, I'll open my eyes."

Draco fumed. He was just about to argue the point when the sound of footsteps pressing down in the snow flanked them.

"Shit." The blonde cursed.

"What is it? What's happening?" Harry asked, listening intently.

"No questions." Draco led him towards the house.

Their journey was tedious. Every second chilled Draco inside, the memories of the night they were going to witness haunting each frozen breathe in his lungs. It was so real, so vivid. From his recollection, he knew his counterpart was making the same long trek up to the same damn house.

Anger coursed through the blonde. Why had he let Potter talk him into this? Why hadn't he faced his death with the honor of a Malfoy. 'There is nobility in death,' he remembered his grandmother say.

As they got closer, it was easier to see the other shadows moving in the night. Death Eaters, Draco noted, him included. He took a deep breath, internally cursing Harry and his own wretched fate. They stopped at the end of a cobblestone path that led to the front porch.

The silent, blind march through the night unnerved Harry. He was glad that he insisted on holding the blonde's hand. It felt like his only lifeline to reality. This was perfectly reasonable, the young wizard told himself, to hold Malfoy's hand. He couldn't lose track of him.

With a loud crack, the front door was forced open. Death Eaters swarmed the house as lights flicked on inside. Draco trembled, a wave of sickness threatening to overcome him.

"Malfoy, what's wrong? What's happening?" Harry asked, fighting the urge to open his eyes.

The blonde didn't answer. Instead he led them down the path to the house, Harry stumbling over the white porch steps. Wooden boards creaked underneath their feet as a gunshot cracked through the stiff air. The Gryffindor flinched, holding tightly onto Draco.

Screams and loud voices carried through the house. Figures cloaked in black robes and silver masks rushed passed them as they breached the doorway. Harry's head was whipping around, trying to make sense of the noises he heard around him.

"Potter." Draco said. "Whatever you hear, don't open your eyes."

Reluctantly, the Gryffindor nodded, remembering the unfortunate promise he had made. His nonverbal response seemed to satisfy the blonde. Onward, Malfoy guided him into the house.

"Stairs." Draco warned.

They struggled up them carefully. Shrieks of excitement reverberated in the stairwell. A sick feeling was churning Harry's stomach at the sound. He could only guess what was happening. But if he was right, the wizard thought, then they were walking into hell.

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**Koiame**: Wow! That was the longest chapter yet. Please review and let me know what you think. Not sure when I will be able to update next since there's some things going on here that I have to deal with. Hopefully I'll be able to give you more soon though. Thank you for reading these past 20 chapters. I look forward to writing more. Cheers!


	21. Chapter 21

**Koiame**: Hey everyone. I am truly blown away by all the support! Thank you for reading. Please check out the special announcement below. This chapter was really difficult for me to write as it involves very troubling emotions and themes. I strongly caution readers for this reason. I tried to write everything as tastefully as I could, but if you are disturbed easily by things, please do not read this chapter. Thank you all and I hope you guys enjoy.

**Special Announcement:** I will be hosting a panel on fan fiction writing at Chibi Pa this November. There will also be a fan fiction writing contest which I will be a judge for. If you are going to be in Florida, USA in November, please consider attending my panel and entering the contest, too. For more information, please go to chibipa . com. The contest information is under "Special Events". Thank you!

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** **harborseal54** (I hope your studies have gone well! Since I've got you hooked, I'll try and keep updates pretty regular. Best of luck and hope you enjoy this chapter!), **Zale potter** (x3) (Thank you for your reviews! I definitely liked your comments on "old moldy snake", lol!), and **SeekerDraconis** (I am incredibly thankful for your review. It really brightened my day!)

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**Chapter 21: Hell**

Outside the bedroom at the top of the landing, the uneasy pair paused. Melted snow softened the floorboards under their feet and the presence of dark wizards nearby tainted even the air as they breathed ragged breaths. Along the wall was a single, deep gash running along its length, leading to a brown, wooden door from which wicked sounds escaped. Draco couldn't stop himself from trembling. He _couldn't_ go in there. The first time he experienced the horrors of that defiled space had been enough. To witness it all again… Even the _thought_ of it was impossible to manage.

"_No_-" A woman pled, her voice cracking. "Please don't hurt him!" The sounds were muffled, but clear enough for Harry to understand the desperation in her tone. The heart in the hero's chest was pounding so loudly, it caused his eardrums to quiver.

"Malfoy?" Harry whispered. "Malfoy, what's going on?"

Draco leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, tugging the Gryffindor along with him. Startled, Harry opened his eyes just in time to spot the wall as it met his face when he crashed into it. Cursing, he dropped to the floor beside the blonde. The world came back into focus. Rubbing away the impact, he spotted blood coating his hand thickly, realizing queasily that he felt no pain although his nose was surely broken. The peculiarity of being injured yet feeling nothing was shoved aside with the sight of Draco - his back propped against the same wall - wearing a haunted and faraway expression.

"Malfoy!" Harry shouted, moving towards him.

The blonde let go of his hand automatically, saying nothing. Panic coursed through Harry. All thoughts of promises were abandoned by both men. Draco's insistence and pride lie forgotten somewhere in the vacant stare of his grey eyes. The door swung open suddenly. Startled, Harry jumped to his feet. Peering through the open arch, the anxious wizard spied a man in the middle of the room, his eyes glazed over, grasping a knife in his hand. Behind, a tall, hooded Death Eater lurked with his wand trained on him.

"What are you doing to him?" A woman cried from a corner, holding her two daughters close.

The younger girl's face was buried in her mother's evening dress while the elder sister stood beside them, frozen in terror as tears flooded her watery brown eyes. A murder of Death Eaters encroached upon them playfully, snickering and jeering. With the flick of a wand, the cursed man was made to run the blade over the palm of his left hand, causing blood to weep from it onto the floor. No hint of pain showed; a blank expression plastered on his face. The women trembled and wept; their stifled shrieks were encouragement to the dark wizards.

'_The Imperious curse…_' Harry swore, edging closer.

"Bloody muggles…" One of the masked wizards said as he kicked at a spent shotgun shell lying on the ground. It made a rough skittering noise as it tripped across the floor.

"_Hurry up_, we don't have all night." A Death Eater from the back of the pack hissed, either bored or impatient. "Make sure the boy sees this."

Immediately, a wiry, cloaked accomplice was nudged forward. With forced bravado, the young Death Eater joined the front line. Harry had a wretched feeling that he recognized the taut frame of the masked figure.

"Potter!" A hand reached out and clawed Harry's arm.

Alarmed, the Gryffindor stifled a yelping noise in the back of his throat. Piercing grey seared through him as he met Draco's volatile glare. Sense had returned to the blonde, but with it came rage. A hard right hook sent Harry sideways and he crashed to the floor. The next second, he found himself pinned down by his rival, getting the seven shades of shit beaten out of him.

"GET OUT!" Draco yelled, again and again as he threw wild punches.

"Malfoy…" Harry tried, head spinning torpidly.

White hot tears were cascading down Draco's face. He couldn't let _Potter_ see them. Why had he let the bloody 'chosen one' talk him into this? Surely it would have been better to die. The blonde's thoughts bubbled like tar inside him.

"You _promised_." Malfoy hissed. Emotionally spent, the blonde banged both of his clenched fists against the wooden floorboards at the sides of Harry's head. The prone wizard laid beneath him, covered in blood. Consciousness seeped in and out of the dark-haired wizard, the void tugging at him ever so slightly. For reasons Harry could no longer explain, he heard screaming coming from nearby. He glanced openly at Draco, accepting his own helplessness, and witnessing the same in the Slytherin's tear soaked eyes.

Face twisted in shame and disgust, the blonde rolled himself off of Harry. Even in this delusion, Draco mused, the red tinge of Potter's blood on his hands both horrified and thrilled him. Unable to control himself any longer, the last shreds of his dignity melted away.

Draco cried.

Harry looked over at his unhinged assailant amidst a blur of subdued colors washing over him. The words of Hermione were swimming back to him, and he could no longer shrug them off. This Malfoy _would_ try to kill him, Harry thought. This Malfoy - he hardly knew at all.

The green-eyed Gryffindor was regaining awareness even though he didn't remember having lost it. For a brief moment, Harry expected to see Hermione or Ron hovering around him, but the sharpness of reality simply was not there. Dim light surrounded him in his stupor. With a pang of despair, the wizard recognized it as the same hallway he passed out in.

Unsteadily, Harry propped himself up on his elbows, searching for any sign of Malfoy. The blonde sat in the doorway, his head resting against his folded knees. It was a pathetic sight that made the raven-haired young man pity Draco, despite himself. Sliding over to the familiar yet unkind wall, Harry leaned against it and eyed the somber Slytherin. Steady waves of frustration and anger displaced compassion for the blonde as he remembered how much of a tosser Malfoy was for knocking him out.

"You're a fucking arsehole, Malfoy." He said, damn the consequences.

Draco startled and turned to him, the hairs bristling on the back of his neck. Harry half-expected a growl to escape the blonde's snarling thinned lips.

"Sod off, Potter; you _and_ your filthy half-blood promises." Malfoy's words were venom-laced and vinegary.

Harry postured himself so he was sitting more upright, giving the former Death Eater an appraising look before replying indignantly. "What are you on about?"

Draco swallowed thickly, face twisted in mute fury.

"You _opened_ your _eyes_." He snapped. Behind the blonde's mask of loathing, Harry could sense a chink in his armor.

"What was I supposed to do?" The Gryffindor huffed, losing ground to his own compassion.

"Keep your eyes shut." The blonde answered pointedly.

Malfoy knew Potter had a good reason to do what he did. If their positions were swapped, Draco knew he would have done even worse at keeping such a promise. But he also knew that the Gryffindor could not be allowed to hide behind that _insufferable_ shield of righteousness he brandished so frequently.

'_Where had everything gone wrong?_' Harry wondered, studying the blonde sadly. He sighed, letting the back of his head rest against the wall. The uneasy fluttering in his stomach when he had held Malfoy's hand was now a solid block of bitter disappointment that weighed heavily in his chest.

Beyond the doorway, Harry watched as the helpless man he saw earlier stabbed himself in the gut and then drew the blade upwards. The green-eyed wizard's mouth fell open. Every fiber of his being compelled him to act – to save the man. A sobering look from Draco peeled away those instincts. Harry bit back a shudder. The icy stare Draco gave him was far worse than any the blonde had sent his way before. Those dangerous eyes told him to leave it alone. But he couldn't. That wasn't who he was.

"Let me help you." Harry said, hoping his sincerity would not be misunderstood.

"I'm going to die, Potter." The grey-eyed wizard scoffed, averting his stare and choking back an undignified whimper.

The former Gryffindor could find nothing to say. What would any promises to find a way to save Malfoy matter? Harry knew they would sound like empty words, especially considering how well he had done to uphold the last one he made.

"I'm sorry." The blonde's attention snapped back to him. Harry continued, noting the astonishment that shuddered over Malfoy's pale, yet graceful features. "I shouldn't have looked in there. I'm sorry."

Harry Potter had apologized to him – twice. The shock of it drowned out the flash of green light from the room and the screaming that followed it. Draco didn't care about the memory any more. It was the sixth or seventh time that the tragedy that played itself out and the humbling of his archrival was too new and too unexpected to process anything else. A small nod was the only response he could manage, but Harry felt instant relief at Malfoy's silent forgiveness.

"We could try this again." The raven-haired wizard offered boldly.

Draco lifted his grey eyes to meet Harry's. Part of him wanted to tell Potter off and break the fragile peace that the apology had garnered. What right did the half-blood have to ask for his trust again? But before that side of Draco could win out, he found himself on his feet moving toward the Gryffindor. Refusing to face the raven-haired 'pain in the arse,' the blonde offered his hand, still staring through the doorway.

Harry blinked up at Malfoy, filled with wonder.

"Well…" Draco huffed impatiently, waving his arm as if he was expecting it to be mauled off by a lion.

"Right." Harry took it and pulled himself up, knackered. The blonde steadied himself, not expecting to be used as a rope. Properly on his feet, the green-eyed wizard couldn't stave off the blushing of his cheeks at the contact with Draco, and he hoped wryly that the blood and bruising on his face hid his discomfort.

"Eyes closed, Potter." Malfoy commanded.

Harry obeyed, letting out a deep breath. Once satisfied that the Gryffindor wasn't peeking, Draco pulled him along towards the bedroom.

"I think we're meant to go in." The blond said, trying to hide his own discomfiture. A few more steps and they were across the threshold. Soft creaking noises brushed Harry's ears and tiny sobs rippled his heart. Behind them, the door slammed shut. Draco held on to his hand more tightly as they moved through the room.

The cacophony of Death Eater voices was now absent. Harry could only sense a hand full of people in the room, although he had no way of telling for sure. Draco directed the Gryffindor to sit beside him against what Harry could only assume was an armoire.

"Filthy, sniveling muggles-" The voice of Belatrix Lestrange set off alarms all over Harry's body. "-their existence is an abomination."

The gentle squeaking noise continued, the sound reminding the Gryffindor of the swing set at the park near the Dursleys. From beside Harry, Draco was trying his best not to scream; afraid that might cause the wizard at his right to break his word. It was almost over, the blonde shuddered as he watched his former self standing between his demented aunt and the young girl sprawled unconscious on the floor. The girl's parents lay a couple feet away, blood soaked and abandoned like rubbish. _And on the bed there was_… The blonde tried to swallow the lump in his throat. No. _No,_ _he mustn't look at that._

"Malfoy?" Harry whispered.

"W-what?" Draco breathed.

"Can you tell me what's happening?" The Gryffindor knew it was a long shot.

After a pause, the blonde spoke. "Two of the muggles are dead. Most of the Death Eaters have gone. Aunt Bella… is _teaching me_ a lesson. Greyback is… here, too."

"Wait, Fenrir Greyback… the werewolf?" Harry couldn't help himself.

"Yes." Draco said, hoping that would be the end of it.

"What is he doing here?" The raven-haired wizard pressed.

"Potter…" The Slytherin became agitated.

"What?"

"If you ask me another question, I'll murder you." The threat was mostly empty, but somewhat pleading.

"Right." Harry sighed, letting his head roll back against the wooden furniture with a soft thud. The creaking noise that reverberated throughout the room was splitting his last nerve. There were so many things he wanted to ask Malfoy about, but didn't know how to approach him.

"Greyback, Draco and I will be leaving with this one here." Bellatrix sighed. "Clean up this mess when you're done."

Moments later, a loud crack told Harry that someone had apparated from the room. The squeaking of metal was growing louder, and animal-like growls that the Gryffindor guessed belonged to Greyback joined them. Faint whimpers caused a feeling of sickness to run through him.

"Potter, get up." Malfoy couldn't control the trembling in his voice.

Harry complied. "What is it?"

"There's a door." Instantly, the raven-haired wizard understood what Draco meant. Another eerie white door with painted red lettering on it had appeared. The pair made a bee line for it.

"Wait." Harry stopped, eyes still closed. "There might be someone on the other side."

"We don't really have another option, Potter." The blonde grasped the doorknob, needing with every last iota of his sanity to leave that wretched space. "Ready?"

The dark-haired wizard nodded uneasily. With a twist of the handle, Draco swung the door outwards, striking something solid as they pushed through. The door slammed shut behind them and Harry opened his eyes. The sight that met them was the same nightmare they escaped earlier. Draped in black from head to toe, the figure from the hallway slashed at them with his dagger, catching Malfoy on the cheek. The blonde stumbled back, Harry bracing him as they retreated towards a dead-end.

"Potter!" Draco yelped, pressing his palm against the gash on his face.

"I _know_!" He shouted, adrenaline pumping.

"Do something!" The blonde shoved him.

"Why don't you? You were the one beating the shit out of me earlier!" Harry felt his back bump up against the wall.

"This is _not_ the time, Potter." Draco breathed faster as the assailant inched towards them.

"We should rush him – together." Vibrant green eyes spoke volumes to the trembling blonde about the insane courage of Gryffindors. The Malfoy heir's heart beat even faster, Harry's steadfast expression filling him with a small spark of bravery.

A nod was all it took to tell the raven-haired hero that the blonde was onboard with his plan. The next second, Harry barreled down the corridor with Draco in toe, and grappled with their stalker. To their astonishment, their target's body was hard as stone within their grasp. With marginal success, Potter was using both of his hands to stay the knife that the figure wielded.

"He's too strong." The former Slytherin wrestled to keep the other arm at bay.

"Open one of the doors." Harry said; teeth clenched from the effort of fending off an attack. "Hurry!"

Draco darted to the closest door and it swung open. Within the shadows lurking behind it, a jarring vision of his past was emerging. He was mesmerized by its horror.

"Malfoy!" The raven-haired wizard snapped, quickly losing the fight. The figure's free hand was wrapped tightly around the young man's wrist.

Blinking away the trance, Draco sprung into action to help Harry. Arduously, the pair struggled with the draped aggressor towards the door, trying their damndest to not get run-through in the process. The figure's hand slipped through Harry's grasp, slicing a shallow wound across his chest before he could dodge. At least it didn't hurt; the green-eyed wizard grimaced, reestablishing his hold on the attacker's wrist.

"Potter?" Malfoy called out.

"It's fine, we're almost there." Harry reassured him. Their plan was working. The door was wide open to their left, now all they had to do was push it through. "Get ready to slam it shut once we get him through."

Both boys were using all their strength to edge the menacing, monstrous thing through the doorway. With one final push, the figure was inside the darkened room. Tearing himself away, Draco took hold of the door.

"Move!" The blonde ordered.

Harry threw himself backwards, freeing himself. Draco had the door mostly shut, but the cloaked figure was pushing back. Scrambling to his feet, the hero put his shoulder into helping the blonde who let out a choking noise, presumably from the effort. A heavenly click finally sounded the catching of the door, closed at last.

Waves of relief washed over Harry as he took a step back. Draco was bent over, forehead pressed against the door and panting heavily.

"We did it." The raven-haired wizard allowed himself a victorious grin, bubbling with a feeling of triumph yet completely knackered.

"Potter." The blonde dropped to his knees. Harry's smile vanished. Blood was beginning to soak the carpet around Malfoy. In the blink of an eye, he was crouched down on the floor beside him, gingerly turning Draco around to a sitting position.

A look at the wounded wizard's face told him everything. Rivulets of crimson blood were leaking from the corners of the blonde's pale mouth. The gash in Draco's abdomen was covered by his own hand, dyed in the same red color that escaped his lips.

"Malfoy!" Harry was breathless.

"Leave it…" The blonde mumbled.

Nostrils flaring and face scrunched, the Gryffindor saw through the charade. Malfoy's bravado couldn't hide the fear of his wide eyes and his wavering hands.

"Don't look at me like that, Potter." Draco gritted his teeth, coughing up more of his 'pure blood'. If he wasn't afraid of the consequences, the irony would have made for a good laugh, the Slytherin thought darkly.

Harry stripped off his blue shirt and used it to press against the wound. "It's going to be alright," he said, although his mind told him it wouldn't be. There were so many things left to say. The past could be forgotten. They could be _friends_. Green eyes were welling up with tears.

"I tried to murder you." Malfoy floundered. "I would have done it."

"I know." Potter was looking straight at him, unflinching. The world around him felt unreal, just as it had when he brought Cedric's body back from the graveyard after Voldemort had returned.

Draco was struggling to keep everything in focus. The wetness of his grey eyes betrayed him. He told himself repeatedly to pack it in; preserve his dignity until the end. But the pained look on Harry's face was his undoing.

"Potter… so help me," he tried, "if you cry… I-I'll..." The words stuck inside his throat. He wanted to curse Potter for pitying him with that face. What twist of fate brought him to such an ending with Harry Potter by his side? Draco could not accept it. Regret picked away at the shadows of his life. Why had he been such a failure? Images of his father and mother, rotting away in Azkaban, needled through his soul.

"Malfoy!" Harry was a noisy blur floating above him.

A jolt ran up the raven-haired boy's spine. The feeling of suffocation was wrapped around his lungs. Harry was being pulled away from Draco's mind, and no amount of pleading would make it stop. He couldn't leave him like this, no matter what he had done.

The pain that swallowed him told Harry that he was awake. It was worse than any cruciatus curse… worse even than dying, as far as he could remember that is.

"Harry!" A brown, fuzzy shadow called to him.

"Malfoy." Harry managed. "Where's Malfoy?"

"You're at St. Mungo's. Everything's going to be alright." Another voice assured him.

He wanted to argue – to put up a fight and demand information on the blonde – but his eyelids felt heavy all of a sudden. A blanket of calmness pulled over him, addling his mind. He couldn't explain. Harry realized that he just _was_. Sedated heavily, the hero felt light as air.

"This isn't so bad." Harry babbled, eyes rolling back.

Consciousness faded. The lights went out.

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**Koiame**: Don't fret! Plenty more to go. I tried to avoid all the explicit stuff I could have put in this chapter due to the new restrictions. Hopefully my stories don't get taken down. If they do, I will be quite cross! My birthday is next Tuesday, so not sure when the next update will be. Thank you for reading. I hope to have plenty more for you soon!


	22. Chapter 22

**Koiame**: Yay, another chapter. Just a snack-sized portion this time, but hopefully you all find this chapter pretty tasty. Hehe. I've got the giggles. Cheers!

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** **SeekerDraconis** (Thank you so much! Here's another chapter, hehe.), and **harborseal54** (I guess it was way more awful in my mind. Glad it still came through alright. The MA version of it would have been really explicit, so I tried to shy away. I'm glad you enjoyed the ending of the last chapter. I hope, and suspect, you will enjoy the ending of this one. ^.^ Happy reading!)

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**Chapter 22: Blue**

A throbbing sensation crept upon him, becoming sharper and defining every contour of his body. The mystery of the dark unknown produced a reluctance to wake. Cold liquid swirled around the wizard, fanning the dim embers of his awareness. Harry rolled back the gates of his eyes, feeling them sting. Blinking, he caught a glimpse of pale blue light, refracting as it hit the gentle waves of the water's surface. Drowning, he was _drowning_, the wizard realized - taking in the uncomfortable fullness of his lungs as they writhed in horror.

For what it was worth, the submerged hero kicked and fluttered his legs and arms, trying to breach the elusive plane, but failed. Whispers of blood were beading at the opening gash on his chest. Soon they became an army, flowing freely from Harry and mingling with the water. Questions and pleas scuffled across the green-eyed boy's mind as his heart threatened to burst. But all of these concerns were left aside when the water, as if flushing down a pipe, collapsed around him.

The sudden heaviness of his body tensed Harry's muscles. Weakly, the raven-haired wizard rolled over on the firm bed he found himself and retched. Choking, he wished it all away. Every cell in his body screamed for air. The shadow of fear streaked through him at the thought of passing out before clearing his lungs to breathe again. Eyes shut tight from the violent effort of expelling water, the Gryffindor could only feel the pressing of hands against his shoulders and chest.

Muffled voices clouded his ears. As he purged the last of the liquid, Harry drew hitched breaths and allowed the helping hands to rotate him flat on his back. Unfamiliar faces bobbed and shuffled in the air above him, tight and professional. So when a shouting noise broke through the dull nattering of his attendants, Harry couldn't help but turn his head.

Ginny Weasley was there at the door, causing a fuss. An orderly attempted to calm her to no avail. She was saying something that Harry could hardly make out, her red hair wildly messing about and the panic in her face overwhelming him. The green-eyed boy turned away.

Looking down his nose, a familiar blue weaved through the scurrying healers, all dressed in white. A large block of water magically suspended another patient, their identifying features blurred by the liquid's effervescent qualities. But even so, a cursory glance was enough to tell him that the figure was naked. A glance at his own prone form was enough to confirm his personal bareness, though at that moment he didn't care. If the whole world got an eyeful, what would it matter? Apathy was a flexible branch to cling to, Harry felt, and right now he was so far away from what rooted him to the ground that it didn't matter. Nothing mattered.

Thoughts of Malfoy slowly crept in, faint at first but growing heartily. Was he alright? What had happened to him? Harry's heart pushed against the sluggishness of his body. He figured that the healers had probably sedated him to make their job easier. The memory of being slashed by the hooded figure in that dreadful hallway caused the wizard to recoil. Reflexively, his hand sprung up to trace the gash with his rough fingertips, but a healer denied him such a grim indulgence.

For a few brief moments, Harry had felt the pain and other sensations denied to him in Draco's subconscious world. Although sick, it was a refreshing and altogether human relief that washed through his bones to know that, because of the pain, this was reality. But now there were potions and spells and other strange things that kept him numb.

"Potter-" A soft voice called to him, barely scratching the surface of his stupor. To Harry's amazement, Madam Pomfrey was hovering above him, her hand gently pushing back the stubborn strands of hair that clung to his forehead. The familiar healer's expression tried to impart some measure of reassurance and comfort to her raven-haired patient.

Harry wondered how many times she showed that expression to him and all the other 'accident-prone' Hogwarts students over the years. A swell of gratitude warmed his face as he attempted a reassuring smile. Madam Pomfrey's eyes widened. She managed a quick smile before patting Harry's hand and turning away.

The raven-haired patient closed his eyes woefully, wishing he didn't see the brief hint of uncertainty in the witch's face. He was in bad shape. The gash in his chest was deep. Yet, he knew Malfoy's had to be much worse. Gritty feelings were churning inside Harry. The sight of Draco bleeding out on the wretched muggle carpet gnawed him to bits.

Someone tapped their hand against Harry's face, pulling him away from his thoughts. Eyes opened, a vial of purple liquid was held before him questioningly. After pausing for a second, the Gryffindor tried his best to open his mouth. A male healer poured the potion down his green-eyed patient's throat; wrangling him as he sputtered.

The taste was sickeningly sweet, but lulled the nagging worries he had about Malfoy's well-being. Realities of death and dying sunk into the background. All Harry could think about was how much he wanted to see the blonde, though the reasons why were fast becoming murky and new. Why would he want to be around Draco? The hero breathed a sigh, feeling sleepy and at ease.

'_Maybe he's changed a bit._' Harry mused, lazily. '_Maybe he _can_ change. Maybe I want him to change… in… front… of… me._'

Harry wanted to slap his own face for having such weird thoughts, but that was neither here nor there. Indeed, the green-eyed wizard felt like he was everywhere at once and nowhere altogether. His body yearned for the comforting embrace of dreamless sleep. Obligingly, the gentle hum of magic coursing through his veins sang the weary young man to his slumber. All those awkward, embarrassing ideas swimming around in his head would have to wait.

* * *

**Koiame:** Well there we are… another chapter. It's fairly short considering the last two chapters, but I have had a very busy week. Hope you all enjoyed. Review… maybe? I mean, I'd hate to put you out or anything but… I think I may be a review addict. Won't you please be my enabler? ;) Until next time then…


	23. Chapter 23

**Koiame**: Woah. A super awesome 'thank you' to all the reviewers, favoriters, and story-alerters that have taken a liking to this story! I feel so humbled by your show of support! To all the readers, my thanks as well! Writing fan fiction in and of itself is brilliant, but being able to share it with everyone just makes it that much better.

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** **harborseal54** (So, your fan fiction sense was tingling? Hehe. Love it! I want that ability. ^.^ Thank you for reviewing as always. Voila! I give to you… another chapter. Woot!), and **SeekerDraconis** (Yes! It's about time, right? Harry can be a bit thick sometimes. We'll just see what happens… This chapter should make up for the distinct lack of blonde-haired Slytherins in the last installment. Thanks and enjoy!)

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**Chapter 23: Dark**

Harry blinked lazily, unsure why darkness was all he saw upon waking. The rigid surface beneath him felt different from the stone bed of the hospital, its fibrous nature providing a modicum of padded warmth. If not for the vivid pain attached to his body and the boundless blackness, he would have guessed that this was the hallway in Draco's mind. Even the faint smells of mildew reminded him of that place.

The green-eyed boy's thoughts circled around to the blonde's condition. He knew nothing – _nothing at all_. Cruel whispers echoed through his mind, telling him things he could not bear.

'_Malfoy is alive. He has to be alive._' Harry insisted, turning away the doubts. He would etch those words into his own skin if he had to, if that would make them true. Maybe he did have a hero complex. Maybe he needed a problem to solve for his life to have meaning. So what? Even if that were true, none of those typical self-admonishments and misgivings mattered. Malfoy did. Even Harry's insecurities could not deny the compassion he felt for Draco, growing with each glimpse into his suffering.

The blonde would surely see it as pity, he knew, but it wasn't that. All at once, the raven-haired wizard realized that he had looked down on Malfoy for his words and actions in the past. But now, if Harry really looked _at_ him, past the false bravado and callous airs, he saw Draco as a man, earthly and complex. It scared Potter. Who was Malfoy if he was more than just a fact?

Their rivalry played a huge part in defining who each of them were, just as the fight against Voldemort had done. But this time Harry had a choice. He refused to be Draco's _enemy_, not when they didn't have to be. Whether the blonde would accept it or not, Potter vowed to help the Slytherin and get him on his side.

To have Draco at his side - and Ron and Hermione, of course… That's what he wanted, right? But that wasn't the entire truth. Something told him that wouldn't be enough. It was different somehow.

A faintest of whispers caused Harry to tense, making his body ache in protest. On bated breath, he waited to hear the noise again, wondering if he wasn't alone. Maybe it was a healer watching over him. The darkness could be a spell. But the silence dragged on, telling him nothing.

"Hello?" Harry said, weakly. "Is anyone there?"

Strained whines replied, a little louder than before. At that, Harry gathered himself as best he could. Lifting himself was no easy task. The deep scratch along his chest felt like it was being pulled apart at the seams. Teeth gritted, he pushed through the pain and managed to get into a crawling position. Hands flat, the wizarding hero used them to search his way towards the faint cries.

"Who's there?" He asked.

Hitched, labored breaths were the only answers. The material under Harry's hands, he noted, was definitely carpet. Groping his way, the faces of walls and doors glossed past his searching fingertips. He felt drunk and unbalanced in his blindness, but no less determined. When his hand finally grasped a panted leg, relief and worry fought for space in his heart.

"Malfoy?" The wizard's hands carefully searched over the unseen form, feeling the smallest of breaths brush against his wrist when he found the man's face. The angle of a slash on his smooth cheek was enough confirmation for Harry. It was Draco, and he was trembling.

"Are you alright?" The silent wizard shook his head under Harry's touch.

'_Of course not, he's fucking bleeding to death!_' Potter scolded himself.

Harry sidled up beside him, completely unaware of his own pain now. Gingerly, he patted at Draco's torso until he found the wound, no longer attended to by the blonde's limp hands. Silently begging for forgiveness, the Gryffindor pressed his hand where he had been stabbed by their cloaked tormentor. He had to stop the bleeding.

"It's going to be alright. We're at St. Mungo's." Harry breathed. "They'll be able to heal you."

An eternity passed in dim uncertainty.

"H-Harry." If not for the pure silence afforded by their solitude, the tiny wisps of Draco's words would have easily been lost.

Taken aback by the sound of his first name, brilliant green eyes widened. "What?"

"I-" The blonde's breaths became stronger, full of will and need.

"It's okay. Don't say anything. It's going to be alright." Harry insisted, pressing tighter to stop up the bleeding.

"No." The grey-eyed wizard's teeth chattered, failing to steady his slackened jaw. "I forgive y-you."

"Malfoy-" Harry shook his head. "_Draco_…"

He didn't know what to say. An icy sensation was pooling inside him that threatened to drown his senses. Draco's words were so final and unyielding. He didn't know what they meant, but they struck a chord in his chest. An undeniable feeling bound them through loneliness and hurt.

"You can't." The brunet said. "Not like this."

Malfoy was silent. He was… _breathless?_ Harry froze.

"Malfoy?" His heart felt like it had stopped beating. There was no rise and fall of Draco's chest. The wizard's head wilted forward, pressing against the Gryffindor's palm.

"_No._" Harry wanted to undo the present and go back. Where was a time turner? Some bloody magic had to fix this. Where was Hermione?

Harry's mind was screaming. Or was he yelling out loud? He didn't know. Every wish, hope, and prayer begged for things not to end like this. He needed more time with Draco. They had just begun to make progress towards fixing things; trusting each other.

"Please…" He whispered countless times. It was almost a spell, definitely a prayer, and half a denial. Bargains were negotiated hysterically within his soul. Hands trembling, he held Malfoy's face.

"T-take me instead. Take anything! Just bring him back..." Harry cried. "Bring him back!"

It wasn't fair. Clutching Draco's shoulders, his head pressed against the blonde's chest as he sobbed. There had to be something he could do. There had to be a way to save him. Harry couldn't let him go, no matter what he had done.

A tiny sliver of light flickered like the trail of a shooting star. It was the last door, the one at the very end of the hallway, which had creaked open. Squinting, the brunet wizard watched it illuminate Draco's pale shape. Covered in death's veil, the blonde's lifeless form was shattering to behold. Harry felt the last bonds of his sanity being undone.

But then the slightest, most merciful of gasps slipped past Draco's pale lips. Malfoy was alive? He didn't know how that was possible, but gratitude and joy was erupting in his chest. Maybe the healers had found a way to restore his life. As the grey eyes opened weakly, Harry didn't care who he owed the miracle to. It was enough just to have it.

"Draco?"

The blonde's eyes darted to the open door. A meaningful look rippled his forehead, turning his attention back to the chosen one. Harry searched the grey eyes for meaning.

'_I have to go._' Draco thought. Potter had to understand. He had to help him through.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

Malfoy stared at the light as intently as he could; hoping Potter could take a hint.

"Do you know where that goes?" Harry followed his gaze. Thoughts whipped around the green-eyed wizard's brain, testing the possibilities.

The blonde's eyes stayed trained on the door. Truth was that he didn't know for sure. It was only a guess; one that Potter, the bloody martyr, would not like. Many wizards throughout history had spoken of a pure white light in their brushes with death.

"Should we… go through it?" The expression on the Gryffindor's face was changed once again. He was unsure. Did Draco know something he did not?

"Me." The syllable could have been mistaken for a small hiccup. Malfoy's grey eyes were piercing through Harry. '_Just me_.' He breathed, a fluttering in his chest stirring up weak emotions.

The auror-hopeful pieced together the puzzle of the blonde's intentions. Draco wanted to go through the door alone, but why? What was on the other side? Was it an escape from this place; this curse? There was something warmly familiar about that light. It promised safety. That was more than they could hope for in this hallway of horrors. Surely, it couldn't be anything bad.

Harry nodded.

"Okay." He said, hooking his arms around Malfoy to hoist him up. The process hurt, everything did. Draco couldn't support his body weight, so it was all up to him to get them there. Worries sped through his mind, hoping that this wasn't a mistake.

All too soon, they were at the threshold, peeling wide the occluding door that blocked the fullest of its radiance. Draco wanted Potter to toss him in; let him go. But Harry couldn't do that.

"I'm coming with you." His heart pounded in his ears. Holding the blonde more tightly, he made peace with his decision. Whatever happened, they would face it together.

Before Malfoy could raise a protest, Harry led them forward into the light.

* * *

**Koiame**: Oh my. I promise this is not the end. Another update should be ready by next Thursday. I've been keeping pretty well to that schedule. Yay! Thank you for reading. See you guys next time!


	24. Chapter 24

**Koiame**: Updating early in honor of the Fourth of July as well as the awarding of the first ever Pottermore House Cup at midnight tonight. Hope you all enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** **SeekerDraconis** (Oh, you! *shameless grin* Thank you very much! I know, right. Harry is such a muffin! 3 C'mon Harry! Go get your Slytherin.), and **harborseal54** (I don't think I've ever written anything so intense before. Well, this chapter should be a little easier to get through. I know it was easier to write, that's for sure! ^.^ I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Here's some more for you. Huzzah!)

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**Chapter 24: Wake**

"He's awake!" Hermione shouted. "Harry's awake!"

Looking up at his friend's tear-soaked face, everything was flooding back to his conscious mind. He was in the hospital room, and Malfoy was… Harry sat straight up, remembering what had just happened. Hermione, Ginny, and Madam Pomfrey startled around him.

"Draco." He turned to Hermione. "Where's Malfoy?"

Her eyes grew wide and mouth dropped open. "Harry…"

"Where's Malfoy, Hermione?" He repeated, a volatile emotion bubbling inside him.

"Harry," she said, "I'm sorry, but Malfoy…"

The brown-haired witch paused; unable to find the right words. Harry turned to Ginny and then to Madam Pomfrey. They had to tell him about Draco. He needed an answer! It was the steadfast healer who spoke first; her face wound in a tight scowl.

"We just lost him." Pomfrey said. "I'm sorry."

Ginny grasped his hand and squeezed it tight. Harry couldn't believe it. No. This was all wrong. He was just _with_ Draco; they went through that bloody door together!

"No!" Harry snapped. "I just saw him. He's alive!"

"It's true, Harry." Ginny spoke softly, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Where is he, Ginny?" He implored her. "Where have they taken him?"

"Harry…" She looked at him nervously. Shifting uncomfortably, she glanced at a white curtain that had been drawn across the room.

Draco had to be behind there, Harry just knew it. Thanking whoever had the good sense to put some boxers on him, he swung his legs over the side of the smooth stone bed.

"You can't," Hermione grabbed his other arm, "_Harry_."

"Let me go!" The brunet shouted and a glass vase exploded on his bedside table, water and glass going everywhere. The witches startled at Harry's accidental magic, ducking out of the way as best they could. Freed from their grasp, the wizard clambered to his feet and dashed for the white barrier. It didn't matter that he hurt all over. His head was spinning, but he didn't care. He could _feel_ Draco; he had to be alive.

Tearing away the white sheets that hung between him and the blonde, a gasp caught in his throat. Malfoy was there, lying motionless on a stone table, attended to by a lone remaining healer. The others were calling to Harry, pulling at him, but he was captured in that awful sight. Shrugging them off, he strode up to the bed, heart hammering away in his eardrums. The deep puncture wound in Draco's stomach had been healed a bit, but it wasn't bleeding. Malfoy's blood had stopped.

He was going to be sick. This wasn't right. Everything was wrong. The healer that attended to the blonde's body had his eyes set on Harry, feeling pity and sadness for him. He didn't want it. Everything was supposed to be alright after the final battle. No more death and despair. But this was senseless. Malfoy's death was senseless. And as much as it hurt him now, Harry knew he was attached to the blonde, more than he ever would have imagined he could be. Fingers trembling, he reached out to touch Draco's pale arm. It wouldn't be enough. Nothing would be. Not now.

As soon as he felt the coolness of the blonde's skin against his, Malfoy's eyes shot open and his chest heaved. The witches screamed in the background and the healer beside Harry looked as if he would go into cardiac arrest. The hero himself lost all the remaining color in his face and his knees buckled.

"P-Potter," Draco gasped, "don't le-"

The Slytherin fell lifeless again when Harry stumbled backwards, withdrawing his hand. After looking around the room and seeing the horrified faces of the others, the green-eyed wizard confirmed his own sanity. He had just seen Draco Malfoy suddenly rise from the dead. The raven-haired wizard took a moment to consider his shaking hand before laying it back on Malfoy's arm. Again, the blonde's eyes shot open and chest heaved.

"Potter, you twit!" Draco shouted, glaring at him as best he could.

"Malfoy?" Harry mumbled in shock.

"Bloody scarhead!" The blonde grabbed the raven-haired wizard's hand tightly. "Don't let go of me again!"

"What?" He was dazed.

"Has your brain gone soft, Potter?" Draco taunted, grasping at his open wound with his free hand. "If you let go, I go."

"Go where?" Harry asked, unable to process anything at the moment.

"I don't know, Potter." Malfoy sighed, exasperated. "The other side of that bloody door. There might've been a house… or whatnot."

The others approached, looking as if they had been struck by lightning.

"H-Harry?" Ginny stuttered.

Madam Pomfrey tried to collect herself. "How is this _possible_?"

"How should I know?" Draco fretted. "Honestly, is someone going to get me a plaster, or do I have to bleed to death again?"

Harry twitched, acting on the blonde's request and looking for something to stop the bleeding.

"Not you, Potter!" Malfoy snapped; making sure he didn't let go.

Madam Pomfrey reached into her robes and plucked out her wand. With a gentle flick, she spelled bandages to wrap around the Slytherin's chest. Color was returning to Draco's lips; faint but promising. Under his breath he was muttering something about incompetence and a general lack of common sense.

The shock was wearing off for Harry. His eyes were stinging. The Gryffindor looked away, gritting his teeth and willing himself to stay composed.

'_How many times does Malfoy need to die in front of me in one day for crying to be acceptable?_' Harry wondered. Surely the frustration from it was enough of an excuse. He bit his lip and tried to steady his breathing. If he did cry in front of Malfoy, he was sure to never hear the end of it.

Noticing the Gryffindor's distress, Draco shifted uncomfortably, stealing sideways glances at the wizard. "Pull yourself together, Potter. The way you're carrying on, you'd think somebody had _died_ or something."

Harry couldn't help himself; his mouth twisting into a wry smile. Madam Pomfrey took the opportunity to look Malfoy over, casting a flurry of diagnostic spells and the like. Rifling through her bag, Hermione claimed a chair in the corner of the room. After a moment, she pulled out an old, greenish tome whose engraving had long since worn away, leaving only faint impressions where gold letters once were. Rifling through it, the brunette found her place, reading intently the passage she hoped would give her answers. Impossible things happened every day, she told herself, and it had certainly been true for the past seven years. There just had to be a logical explanation!

"What have I missed?" Ron walked through the door carrying a couple mugs of tea. "Where's Harry-"

The red-headed wizard's eyes went wide at the sight of Harry and Draco, the latter much more alive than he expected. With a clatter, he dropped the mugs, shattering them on the floor.

"Him?" Ron stuttered. "M-Malfoy? He's…"

Draco smirked. "I've come back for you, Weasley."

Harry watched the color drain out of his friend's face. He gave the blonde a sharp nudge with his elbow, adding a cool stare for good measure. Where was the Draco Malfoy who had called him _Harry_? The Gryffindor could barely repress a sigh of lament.

"Don't give me that look, Potter." The Slytherin huffed, deciding to keep quiet and sulk for a while. Something told him that he was being judged by the other boy who looked somewhat disappointed. It was less than amusing, Draco thought, brooding in silence.

"Ron, it's alright." Hermione soothed the panicked wizard.

"Hermione, there's a _dead_ Death Eater talking to us!" Ron flustered. "How is any of this alright?"

"Leave it, Ron." Harry said. "None of us know what's happening."

Gobsmacked, the freckled wizard opened and closed his mouth a few times to argue, but ultimately decided to back off from his ranting. Instead, he decided to clean up the mess of broken ceramic and tea around him. Losing interest in the conversation again, Hermione returned to her book, flipping through pages and making soft sounds of interest.

Ginny, who had been almost statuesque for the past while, now wore the airs of indignation. Wordlessly, she walked to Harry's side, exchanging uneasy looks with him.

"I'm glad you're okay, Harry." She whispered.

The tired wizard gave her a tiny smile. He was grateful for her kindness, but he felt on edge with Ginny and Draco so near each other. Harry wanted them to get along. He cared about both of them and it would be terrible if they fought.

"Incredible." Madam Pomfrey said, finishing her diagnostics. "There appears to be no brain damage. He's in perfect condition, except for the lacerations on his face and abdomen. Mr. Malfoy, never have I seen someone come back from the dead like this. You were gone for eight minutes."

"Well, there _is_ something wrong with him, isn't there?" Ginny interrupted, demandingly. "If Harry lets go…"

"True." The Hogwarts matron conceded the point.

"Madam Pomfrey, would you like me to go get the specialists?" The male healer, who had remained dumbstruck until then, inquired. Harry suspected it was more of an excuse to escape the situation than a desire to help that made him ask.

"Yes," she said, "please."

The healer nodded and hurried out of the room, not daring to glance behind him. Madam Pomfrey sighed after the wizard left, turning her attention to Ron.

"Mr. Weasley, if you would mind the door…" She asked, adding meaning to her words.

"Sure." The red-head puzzled. Obediently, Ron strode over to the door, peering through the small glass window in its center. The graying witch, turning back to her patient, readied her wand.

"Best not mention this to anyone." She breathed. With a couple swift flicks of her wand, a brilliant stream of blue light began to weave itself over Draco, who wriggled anxiously. Hermione was watching the matron healer curiously.

"Madam Pomfrey?" Harry questioned when the blue strands began to wind themselves up his arm. She merely nodded, continuing her work.

After another minute, the spell was complete. The stern healer closed her eyes, concentrating on images only she could see. When the lights faded away, Poppy Pomfrey opened her eyes. Something in them held tenderness and compassion of immeasurable essence.

"It appears that the effects of the curses ceased upon Mr. Malfoy's death, but the connection between his soul and body has been permanently severed." She paused, letting them take in the weight of her words. "As I suspected, the reason why contact with Mr. Potter reanimates him is because there is a lifeline between them."

"What?" Harry baffled. "What sort of lifeline? How?"

"To be perfectly honest, I have no idea. I was hoping you could tell me." Madam Pomfrey said with eyebrows arched.

The raven-haired wizard shrugged and looked at Draco, who was clutching the white sheet that covered his lower half. Sighing, the blonde sat up slowly, the stone bed changing its shape to support him.

"You should have left me to die, Potter." Malfoy sighed, trying to find somewhere he could look without seeing a Gryffindor. "It would have been preferable to _this_."

Harry gave Draco a look of pure exasperation.

"That doesn't matter now." Hermione shut the book in her lap, coming to his rescue. "Harry, tell us what happened exactly."

"Well," he paused, turning to face her, "I woke up after being… here. It was dark and I couldn't see anyone anymore. But I could feel pain, so I thought that I couldn't be in Malfoy's mind, but I was. I heard him. Once I'd found him, I could tell he was in bad shape. There was… a lot of blood."

The green-eyed wizard trailed off, fighting the emotions that flooded back with those memories. Hermione gave him an encouraging nod, urging him gently to continue. Harry took a long, deep breath.

"I tried to stop it with my hand – putting pressure. But then," he swallowed thickly, "Malfoy stopped breathing."

Draco's eyes were full of anguish, steeled only by his pride. The memories vividly played in his head and he was grateful to Potter for leaving out some of the more embarrassing details.

"What about the light?" Hermione asked softly.

Harry nodded, drearily. "At the very end of the hallway was a door. It had opened a bit by itself and there was a light coming from the gaps. Then Draco woke up. He wanted to go through it, so I helped him there. I couldn't let him go alone, so I walked through with him."

Malfoy gave him a sideways look, wondering if the raven-haired half-blood realized he had used his first name. Unnoticing this, Harry was focused on the brown-haired witch, needing her to say something, anything that would explain this mess.

"The fourth vial, the one that didn't shatter, is meant to destroy one's soul. That's what Madam Pomfrey told us." Hermione said. "But I started to wonder if there was another reason why someone would use all four on one person, besides the obvious..."

She glared at Draco, who returned the favor.

"And?" Harry asked, hoping to avoid confrontation.

"There is." The clever witch replied. "The fourth curse is actually different than an actual Dementor's kiss; all of them are, subtly. But my point is, without the fourth curse, Malfoy's soul wasn't destroyed. Instead, it was free to attach itself to whoever was nearby."

"So what you're saying," Ron interpolated, "is that Harry's been possessed by Draco Malfoy?"

"Not exactly, Ron." She groaned, rubbing her eyes. "It's not the same thing. Malfoy shouldn't be able to return to his body if that were all. Why Malfoy can return to his body only when Harry touches him is beyond me."

"Right." Ron suppressed a childish smirk.

Hermione shot him a disbelieving look. "_Honestly_."

"Well for the time being, I must insist that you two stay together." Madam Pomfrey chimed, pointing her wand at them. "_P__ropinquitas__vinculum__._"

Yellow light burst from her wand and snaked around their joined hands before disappearing.

"What did you do?" Draco floundered, feeling a tingling sensation spread through him.

"Calm down, Mr. Malfoy." The brown-eyed healer huffed. "The spell I cast will ensure that you do not accidentally separate. Your body may have been sustained for eight minutes before, but that does not guarantee it will be able to do so again. The two of you will have to maintain physical contact until we figure this out."

The blonde wanted to protest – to have a fit – but it would do him no good. The old witch was right, he thought, and it would keep Potter from letting go. He sulked, cursing his rotten luck.

"Fine." The words were bitter on the Slytherin's tongue.

With a click, the door to the hospital room opened, causing Ron to hop away from it in surprise. Two wizards dressed in dark robes entered, looking around intently. Harry suspected that neither of them was the specialist Madam Pomfrey expected.

"Is there a Draco Malfoy here?" The shorter one asked, looking straight at the blonde.

"Yes." Madam Pomfrey said, turning to them. "He is my patient. Can I help you gentlemen?"

"Madam." The other wizard nodded respectfully. "We've come on behalf of the ministry. I am Auror Poynter and this is Auror Toulson. We have a warrant for Mr. Malfoy's arrest."

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**Koiame:** Wow, another long chapter for you guys. Hope you all enjoyed it. Thank you again for your interest in this story. Another installment will be up soon. Hasta luego!


	25. Chapter 25

**Koiame**: Two chapters in two days? Unheard of! But in honor of the first ever Pottermore house cup, I thought it would be a nice treat. Hope you all enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** **Guest** (Thank you for your comment. It made me smile! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Here's another chapter coming at you! ), and **Gaarasmama** (Thank you very much! Here's some more. )

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**Chapter 25: Want**

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, but Mr. Malfoy is in no condition to be released to your custody." Madam Pomfrey smiled. "I would be happy to inform you if and when he has made a full recovery."

"We have orders to retrieve him, no matter what his condition." Auror Toulson replied dispassionately.

"I see." She said, pausing. "Did those orders include Harry Potter?"

The aurors snapped to attention. Around the room, their eyes darted over each and every face, finally coming to rest on the wizarding world's savior himself.

"Mr. Potter," Auror Toulson nodded respectfully to him, "I hadn't realized you had already found our fugitive."

Harry frowned.

"You misunderstand." The graying witch continued. "Mr. Potter has not _apprehended_ Mr. Malfoy. Rather, they are both afflicted by a curse which has rendered them inseparable. To do so would endanger _both_ of their lives."

Draco lifted his arm up, dragging the raven-haired wizard's along in the process to underscore her point. Satisfied with the looks he was receiving from the aurors, the blonde smirked and let Harry yank their hands down. It was fun using Potter as leverage, he thought, brushing a few pesky strands of his silky locks out of his eyes. Taking note of that simple, yet alluring gesture, Harry bit his lip and looked quickly away, convinced that there was something terribly wrong with him that had yet to be diagnosed.

"Very well." Auror Poynter huffed after a long pause. "We'll be waiting outside for a full report on his condition."

"Jim?" Auror Toulson questioned his partner aside.

"Do you want to arrest Harry Potter?" He replied, vexed by the unfortunate shift in circumstances.

"Of-Of _course_ not! But-"

"Oh, then you want to go down in history as the blithering idiot who accidentally killed the chosen one while trying to bring in an eighteen year old instead?" Jim Toulson whispered darkly.

Auror Poynter paled, his blubbery features taking on a waxy quality. He turned from his partner to look at the hero who vanquished the Dark Lord, the boy giving him a cheerful grin. Defeated, the rotund wizard gave a slow nod.

"Madam. Mr. Potter." Auror Toulson acknowledged each of them before exiting the room; Poynter trailing behind him like a lost dog.

Harry couldn't help but give a small chuckle in relief. They all relaxed a bit, the Auror's presence thankfully gone.

"Don't act so pleased with yourself, Potter." Draco drawled, unable to conceal the faint, satisfied smirk that graced his lips.

The Gryffindor smiled to himself, a warm feeling filling him up as a result of their banter.

"Now, Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy could do with some rest." Madam Pomfrey ordered, looking around at their guests. "I think it would be best for you all to go home and do the same. It has been a very long night."

"But-" Ron tried to argue.

"Mr. Weasley," she cut in. "I really must insist."

"Please Madam Pomfrey." Ginny begged. "Let me stay with Harry."

"I assure you that he will be well looked after." The aged witch smiled. That was the end of the argument, the red-headed witch knew. No amount of pleading could change the healer's mind once it was made up, especially when it concerned the well-being of her patients.

"Go ahead, Ginny. I'll be alright." Harry gave her a reassuring smile, feeling a little guilty at how much he wanted her to leave. Something had changed in his heart since the ordeal first started with Draco. She felt so distant, and he knew it wasn't her fault. It was his. With a nod, she conceded, giving him a gentle peck on his cheek, and then left with Ron and Hermione, who were gathered by the door. Before leaving, the exhausted brunette witch turned back and glared at Malfoy, unblinking. Dark circles underscored the weariness of her eyes.

"I'll be back later to ask you both some more questions." She sniffed, pointing her wand at him for good measure. "I expect you to be on your best behavior until then."

Draco resisted the instinct to shield his nose from an assault, remembering the last time he was on the receiving end of her dangerous glower. The next moment, she and the others were gone.

Everything was rearranged by Madam Pomfrey in the windowless room to better serve the needs of her patients. On firm beds, the magically bound wizards laid beside one another, doing their best to ignore the other's existence; their hands still cupped, sweaty and painfully still. Scores of healers had come by all night, prodding them and asking questions, seeming to never be satisfied by their answers. But the curtness with which the Gryffindor replied to them could hardly be helped. Once or twice, when their elbows brushed each other carelessly, taunting him with forbidden familiarity, Harry thought he would suffocate from the heat washing over him.

'_Do you fancy Malfoy?_' Harry asked himself, afraid of what he would find. When his heart answered '_Yes_', the realization should have thrown him for a loop, but instead it felt almost like he had been holding a breath without realizing it and just then could finally let it go.

"Potter." The Gryffindor startled, and turned to face Draco, who was staring at him intently.

"What?" Harry replied, wincing at the weakness in his own voice.

"We're alone." Malfoy said, point-blank.

"Yeah?" The brunet wizard swallowed thickly, trying not to jump to any conclusions about the blonde's intentions. They _were_ alone he realized, giving the room a quick glance.

"That means I can finally do _this_." Draco's free hand snaked over to Harry's face, closing in upon him fast. With a hard flick to the forehead, all of the green-eyed wizard's delusions of intimacy with the Slytherin vanished.

"What was that for?" He rubbed his head, indignant.

"Because I hate you, Potter." That was the truth. Malfoy hated the bloody Gryffindor with all his might, but it was more difficult than it should be. He was awed by the wizard who lay beside him and at the same time full of resentment. It wasn't fair, not at all, to be so conflicted.

"I thought you'd forgiven me." Harry said, dryly.

"Not likely, Potter." Draco scoffed, letting go of his hand and turning his back to him. Bound by the curse, Harry's fingertips brushed across the blonde's pale arm and onto the smooth flat plane of his back.

"W-What are you doing?" Aroused by the touch, the pupils of his green eyes dilated and he became all too aware of a growing interest in the wizard's bare skin that was taking place in his boxers.

"I don't want to hold hands with you, Potter." Malfoy snapped, clutching his pillow underneath his cheek.

'_Neither do I._' Harry thought, lips pressed together nervously. He wanted much more than that. The sexually frustrated wizard cursed himself for falling arse over tit for someone so bloody difficult. In fact, he thought, when this whole thing was through, perhaps he should get a good psychiatric evaluation to be sure that the connection to Malfoy hadn't addled his brain.

"Then where _am_ I supposed to put my hand, Malfoy?" He retorted, a traitorous blush across his face.

"Not my problem." Draco sniffed, settling into his position.

'_The hell it isn't!_' Harry fumed, boldly running his fingers up the blonde wizard's spine in retaliation. A wave of twisted satisfaction coursed through him as his action elicited a shutter from the Slytherin.

"What the… Potter!" He flustered, flipping onto his back quickly to guard himself.

Harry's hand came to rest on Draco's shoulder, bracing against the likelihood of a swift retaliation. Grey eyes were like daggers piercing through him, but he refused to wither under them. Instead, the brunet maintained an even stare, almost daring the cunning snake to figure out the impossible thoughts that ran through his head.

"You tried to murder me; we traipsed around your bloody thoughts together; a hooded maniac murdered you; somehow you've come back from the dead; and now there's aurors outside who have a warrant for your arrest… Don't you think you've cocked up enough for one week? Is it too much to expect some measure of cooperation out of you?" The Gryffindor blustered.

Draco paused, unflinching. "I tried to murder you _twice_. I hate you, Potter. I will not cooperate! And I expect _you_ to never mention any of that ever again once this has all been sorted out."

"Twice?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, _twice_ Potter." The blonde wizard rolled his eyes.

"When was the first time?"

Malfoy ignored him, having no desire to relive any more memories after what he had been through.

"You owe me an explanation." Harry demanded, grasping his boney shoulder more tightly.

"I owe you _nothing_!" Draco snapped.

"Why?" The raven-haired wizard's tone became soft. "Why try to murder me - _twice_? What would that accomplish?"

The blonde was silent. Harry thought he wouldn't answer at all, but after a moment or two of tense contemplation, the Slytherin finally spoke.

"I don't know." He said. A bitter poison was writhing around in his stomach. Fighting back the emotions and confusion he felt, not wanting to reveal any weakness to Potter, Draco turned on his side once again.

Palm once again resting on his back, Harry looked at his hand, feeling more empty and alone than he had for the past year. Maybe he should forget it, he thought. Malfoy obviously hated him, so why would he chase after someone who didn't share his illogical desires? The raven-haired wizard sighed, letting his hand fall down the blonde's back to rest on the expanse between them.

Knackered – that was the word for how he felt at that moment. Closing his eyes, he wondered how long it had been since he slept peacefully. Dully draping his free arm over the bridge of his nose to block the light, Harry didn't expect to rest easily anytime soon.

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**Koiame:** Hope you all liked the extra chapter this week. I may have another for you by next Thursday, but I'm having a bit of writer's block so I could be late with it. Thank you all for reading. Until next time!


	26. Chapter 26

**Koiame**: In advance, don't kill me if I mangled the fourth book a bit. I didn't not consult it to write this chapter as I wanted to avoid accidental plagiarism. Heh. ^.^' Instead, we're doing this thing by memory. We'll see how it goes. On that spiffy note, hope you all enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** **SeekerDraconis** x2 (Thank you! Haha, yes. That would be amusing, wouldn't it? Slytherin won the house cup. Chamber of Secrets should be coming out soon. Can't wait!), and **harborseal54** (Ah, well thank you twice then! Glad you are enjoying it. And yes, I shall just have to make my writer's block into something useful, lol. I guess we'll see how this chapter goes then. ^.^)

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**Chapter 26: Hurt**

Cedric Diggory's bloodied and soiled face smiled wanly at him, a mixture of relief and gratitude swirling around in his eyes. Staring back, Draco blinked hazily at the Hufflepuff he knew to be dead. Nothing was making any sense. What was happening? The cracking of wooden limbs filled the unsettling silence, closing upon them like a tomb, whispering shivers down his spine. A cold sweat stung the lacerations all over his body and made the crimson shirt he wore cling uncomfortably against his form. Out of the corner of his vision, a large chalice he recognized as the Triwizard cup gleamed with unnatural brilliance, causing them both to meander distractedly towards it as if in a trance.

Words escaped his lips, ones that he could not understand over the sound of his racing pulse. Diggory nodded appreciatively in reply and outstretched his hand to hover by one of the cup's handles. Unable to control his own movements, Draco was startled as he did the same. On the count of three, the blonde's insides twisted the moment he clutched the golden handle. The next thing he knew, he was face-down on the cool ground, clutching at patches of grass and dirt, trying to find his wand. Beside him, the brunet Hufflepuff was on his feet, wand in hand, and looking around.

"The cup was a portkey." Cedric grinned, wondering where it had sent them.

Draco clambered to his feet, wand tightly in his grasp, and meandered around what he now recognized was a graveyard. An unsettling feeling was wriggling inside, setting his teeth on edge. When he rounded one of the ornate grave markers, a family-sized crypt overseen by a stone reaper, the names etched on them caused his knees to buckle although he didn't know why. Something familiar was recalled by those names, but the blonde could not place them. By all indications, this was a muggle graveyard. Who would he know that would be buried there?

"We have to get out of here, now!" Malfoy spoke, but did not recognize his own voice. A terrible pain was mounting in his head all the while, causing him to stumble.

The panic in his tone alarmed Diggory, who ran to Malfoy with his wand at the ready. From a few yards away, the rotting wooden door of an old, abandon groundskeeper's house swung open with a metallic thud and Draco could no longer see, the searing pain radiating from his forehead overtaking him.

"Run!" He shouted with all his strength.

"Harry?" Cedric questioned, training his wand on an approaching figure.

'_Harry?_' Draco thought. '_No… No, this is _that_ graveyard. This is when the Dark Lord…_'

"Kill the spare." A voice hissed.

With a shock of green light, the Hufflepuff was dead, his body making a sickening thump as he hit the packed dirt. He was screaming – no, _Harry_ was screaming, as Draco now knew that he was watching this nightmare unfold through the chosen one's eyes. Gritting his teeth, Malfoy felt himself straighten, trying to fend off an attack, but with a swift flick of the murderer's wand he was disarmed.

'_Wormtail_.' The blonde recognized the rat-faced wizard.

Stone arms captured him from behind, holding him tightly. '_The stone reaper_.' Draco struggled, trying to pry the scythe's staff away from his neck. A fire was lit under a cauldron nearby and words were spoken. Wormtail waddled over - the bundle in his arms carefully put aside - and ripped back his sleeve. Expecting to see the all too familiar dark mark he had been branded with, it was strange to behold the pale, blank canvas of Harry's arm where his own should be.

"Blood from the enemy, forcefully taken," muttered Wormtail, slicing deeply down the bare flesh.

The blonde felt the agony pooling in his head, insisting he pass out, as he gritted his teeth. Behind watery eyes, Draco watched as the Death Eater added Harry's blood to the bubbling brew, among _other_ things.

'_What are you doing, Potter? Escape already!_' He thought, unable to bear it any longer.

After Wormtail bandaged his bloody stump, the grey-eyed wizard watched as he dropped the swaddled bundle into the cauldron, causing a violent magical reaction that tainted the air. Rising out of the miasma that billowed forth, the Dark Lord emerged, more menacing than even Draco's darkest recollections of the wizard could render. If the pain was unbearable before, the rebirth of Voldemort increased the throbbing in his head by tenfold.

'_No. Please, Potter. Get us out of here!_' The blonde wizard screamed, remembering every crutiatus curse he'd suffered, finding none that could compare to the torture he currently endured.

"I can _touch_ you now." The Dark Lord swept towards him, placing a boney finger to Harry's forehead.

Draco couldn't take any more. He was screeching at the contact, unable to pass out and too boggled to care about his pride. Eyes shut tight, everything was spinning and he was going to be sick. Lurching forwards, the blonde felt unrestrained. He could hear his own cries echoing from his chest as he writhed in clouded fear.

"Draco! Draco, it's okay." A voice tried to calm him.

"NO!" Malfoy wailed.

"Potter, what's going on?" Someone said, closing in quickly.

"I-I don't know. He just woke up screaming."

Opening his tear-laden eyes, Draco made out the blurred outlines of a familiar healer. With a violent upheaval, the blonde turned aside and threw up onto the floor. Harry's hands grasped him by the shoulders, steadying his rippling frame.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Malfoy bellowed before heaving again.

"He's vomiting blood. His wound must have torn open further." Madam Pomfrey said, clearing away the sick and producing a bucket out of thin air with her wand. "We must get him to lay still."

The raven-haired wizard nodded, pulling the blonde down as best he could. Draco thrashed, but was too weak to resist being held down.

"Potter, you have to run! The Dark Lord… in the graveyard… He's going to kill us!"

"Malfoy, he's dead. Voldemort's dead!" Harry assured him.

"No… I _saw_ him. He was there." Draco cried; face twisted in absolute terror. "You were there."

"It's going to be alright, Mr. Malfoy." Madam Pomfrey said, retrieving a vial from the bedside cabinet. "Drink this, and you will be fine."

"_No!_"

"Malfoy, it's Madam Pomfrey. She's going to help you." Harry persisted. "Just take the potion."

Draco considered his words, head whipping side to side as he shook away the ringing in his ears. The image of Voldemort reborn seared through his mind, deluding everything else. Yet, enough rational thought remained in him that he understood their words. With a weak nod, the blonde opened his mouth and let the graying matron pour the liquid down his throat. It was numbing and made the back of his tongue feel like cotton. His wildness ceased abruptly as the calming draught took effect.

"Malfoy?" Harry asked, noticing a sharp change in his behavior.

"Potter," said Draco. With doe-like eyes, he looked up at the brunet, lost and unraveled. "I was in a graveyard. And Diggory… Wormtail murdered him. _Then_…" The former Slytherin trailed off, taking in his surroundings.

"You were in the graveyard?" Harry pulled his attention back. "How?"

"I don't know." Draco frowned. "It was your memory, wasn't it?"

The green-eyed wizard looked at Madam Pomfrey quizzically, hoping she could shed some light on what happened. She merely shook her head, tending to Malfoy's wounds with a steady hand. Harry looked back down at him, wondering how the blonde could have seen what he described.

"It's alright now." He replied. "That happened three years ago. Voldemort's gone for good this time."

The former death eater winced at the Dark Lord's name and then something dawned on him. Turning his face to Potter, the blonde's uncertainty was plain as day.

"Riddle," he asked, "the surname on the grave?"

"Tom Marvolo Riddle. That was Voldemort's real name, and _that_ was his father's grave."

Draco's eyes went wide. Subtly, he leaned closer to the Gryffindor, the contact of their arms a reassurance he needed more than his pride.

Finished with mending his wound as best she could, Madam Pomfrey lingered, unsure if she should allow the unnerving conversation to continue or insist that they both rest. Harry returned his gaze to her and gave the weary witch a tenuous smile. As if sensing her raven-haired patient's thoughts, she breathed a sigh and gathered up the empty containers and used bandages.

"Both of you," Madam Pomfrey ordered. "Get some rest. I'll be back to check on you shortly."

In a few seconds, she left the pair to their own devices. Once alone, Harry summoned enough courage to lightly caress the bandage on the blonde's cheek with the back of his fingers. Draco flinched, predictably.

"Does it still hurt?" The former Gryffindor asked, trying to meet the blonde's eyes. He wasn't sure what he wanted with the 'reformed' death eater, but he couldn't just watch and do nothing as he suffered.

"No." Draco whispered, eyes fluttering in a daze.

Harry didn't care if the blonde hated him forever for what he was about to do. The brunet knew he would regret it for a very, very long time if he didn't follow his intuition. After all, it was what had kept him alive so far. Without another thought, he wrapped him in a tight embrace, receiving little resistance.

Head tucked cozily against Potter's chest, Draco let himself weep for his fate, feeling his sanity dangling by a fine thread. He couldn't do it anymore. Not one cell in his body held any hope that things would ever be okay again, not for him at least. Just like his parents, the aurors would cart him off to Azkaban and lock him away until the better part of his life was gone. Tears escaped as his cheek brushed against the bandage on Harry's chest.

"Potter, just let go of me. I want to die. I want to _die_, Potter!" The blonde wizard whimpered, torn between loathing himself for turning to his sworn enemy for comfort and needing beyond all rationality for someone to hold him just one final time before he would be hauled off to prison.

Instead of a reply, Harry held tighter and dared to rub his naked back soothingly. Earlier, the touch would have excited him, but now, as sympathetic tears prickled at his own eyes, all that mattered was making Draco feel safe. As he held the blonde, he remembered the night two years ago when he had confronted the Slytherin in the boy's lavatory. Malfoy had been sobbing then too. If he had done things differently, been more sympathetic to the blonde, he wondered if things would have ended up the same way.

It was doubtful, he decided glumly. But as Draco fell asleep, Harry realized it didn't matter, because he could change everything starting with that moment. If he had to break Malfoy out of prison or save him from another nightmare, he would. Whatever it took, he vowed to rescue the sleeping wizard, even if that meant sticking his neck out for someone who loathed him. Lips pressed against a wave of silver-blonde strands on top of Draco's head, Harry made that promise.

"It's going to be alright." He whispered, closing his own eyes and treasuring the moment for what it was.

* * *

**Koiame:** Oh Harry, thou hast a hero complex, but we love you for it. Thank you all for reading. I will be going away until August 1st and will not have internet access, so this will be the last update until then. Sorry! But I will be working on the next chapters during that time and should have something special for you all when I return. In the meantime, be safe and well. Ja mata, ne. ^.^


	27. Chapter 27

**Koiame**: Thanks for your patience everyone! I am back, although I am going away for the next four days, lol. This chapter is like a marathon – a lot to handle, but worth the effort. I really feel great about it and hope you guys like it as much as I do. ^.^

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** **MakeupDiva88** (Well thank you very much. I think you're going to like this chapter then, hehe. ^.^), **Harborseal54** (Ah hah, I see what you did there and loved it! I did have a great vacation, thank you! I was way out in the middle of nowhere and it was awesome! :D), **SeekerDraconis** (Yay, Slytherin! Thank you kindly, your review was sweet too! Loved it! If you want fluffy moments, I think you're going to like this chapter. It's long, but I think it gets the job done. Enjoy!), and **sunneedee** (First off, love your name and now I'm thirsty. Ah. But I have no Sunny D. Drats. Anyways, thanks for the review. Glad you liked it. Here's another, coming your way!).

* * *

**Chapter 27: Mine**

A gentle wisp of what Harry recognized as joy brimmed at the horizons of his eyes when he woke the next morning to find Draco still nestled in his embrace; dangerous, lovely, and forbidden. The brunet did not move or make a sound, afraid of waking the blonde wizard wrapped tightly in his arms. For the time being, he was his. But as life often saw fit to teach the green-eyed wizard, such fragile moments are often fleeting.

"Harry," whispered Hermione, creeping up to the foot of their beds.

In the dim light of the hospital room, the brunet caught a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye. Turning carefully away from his slumbering bedfellow, he blushed and acknowledged her softly.

"Morning, Hermione." Harry said, hoping she wouldn't comment on the compromising position in which he had been found.

"I wanted to talk to you," she glanced meaningfully at Malfoy, "alone."

Nodding as he shifted to a more upright position, Harry's arm slid out from under the blonde who remained still, his chest fluttering softly with measured breaths; no doubt aided in his slumber by the calming draft he had been given.

"I've been doing some research, and Harry, I-I came across something." The brown-haired witch paused, collecting her nerve. "I should start from-"

In his sleep, Draco fussed a bit and wriggled toward the warmth of Harry's side. Hermione bit her lip anxiously, praying that her least favorite former classmate would not stir. Harry froze in place: a statue whose insides melted at the needy contact. After Draco finally settled, he ventured a small glance at her. He hoped that the heat brushing over his cheeks was imperceptible in the faint light around them. No such luck.

"You and Malfoy…" She trailed off, judging her friend's reactions.

Harry opened his mouth to explain away the awkwardness, but there were no words. Hermione shook her head. "Honestly! You really are too transparent for your own good. You've become obsessed with him again, haven't you?"

"I'm not obsessed." The brunet replied indignantly, to which Hermione gave an incredulous snort.

"I'm not sure I should even bother to tell you what I found out. Ginny's only going to murder you anyways when she finds out." She watched as the color drained from his face. "We'll worry about that later. Harry, the connection you two share, I don't think it had anything to do with the cursed potions. Remember when I told you that Malfoy had most likely tried to murder you at least once before that incident-"

"Yeah. He said he did." The wizard frowned, remembering the last real conversation they had. "He spared the details though."

"Really?" Hermione said, astonished. "Well, there it is then. I think that the first time Malfoy tried to – _well, you know_ – he obviously failed… but, _oh Harry_… I don't know how to say this."

The frustrated witch stood up and paced around the room, a soft clacking of her heels filling the silence.

"Whatever it is, Hermione…" Harry trailed off.

"I think," the brunette dropped into her usual chair, "that the visions were a warning of Malfoy's intentions - triggered when he failed to kill you the first time."

"_What?_"

"I know… It _doesn't_ make sense. That's why I did some research-" Hermione pulled out a book with a pristine, white cover from her bag. "All the methods he reasonably could have used to try and murder you lack the qualities necessary to create such a strong connection between the murderer and his victim. Therefore, it's most likely that the connection existed before Malfoy tried to murder you. So instead, I looked for anything else that might explain your predicament."

"And?" Harry pressed.

"The Dark Mark." She looked woefully at him. "_Your_ blood was used to resurrect Voldemort. And Malfoy was made a Death Eater _after_ that. So, if I'm right about this, he is bound to you by a blood oath."

Harry gaped at her. The words scrolled through his mind a few times before they began to seep through the daze. "So, this _is_ a Voldemort thing?"

"Yes, it's a 'Voldemort thing'." She sighed, attributing the source of that particular phrase to one Ronald Weasley. Flipping to a bookmarked page in the white tome she cradled, the desired paragraph was found at once and, with hardly a pause, the words rattled off her tongue. "The spell that the Dark Lord uses to brand a Death Eater with the Dark Mark traces its origins back to the time of King Arthur. It is rumored that the great wizard Merlin, himself a former member of Salazar Slytherin's house at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, created a spell for the Knights of the Round Table to pledge their allegiance to the King. It is said that when King Arthur died, they were bound by their magical oath to protect his blood heir and carry out his final wishes."

"I-I inherited Malfoy?" Harry blurted out. "I'm the _heir_ of Voldemort?"

"Keep your voice down." She yelped.

"How can I? Hermione, you realize what you're telling me is barking mad-"

"_I know_."

"There's got to be another explanation." Harry pled, letting it weigh upon him. She merely shook her head in reply, confirming his fears. Hermione, after all, was not one to rush to conclusions, Harry knew. Rubbing his head, he added, "Then please tell me you've found a way to fix this."

The brunette witch ran her hands over the cloth cover of the closed book, taking comfort in the feel of its reassuring texture. It was familiar, grounding her in safety and lending her strength. Watching his best friend's discomfort did nothing to ease Harry's worry, and yet he waited and ached for an answer.

When Hermione finally trusted herself to speak, she found her voice shaking. "The door was meant for you Harry. I think if you had gone alone…" She paused, noting Harry's frustration at her roundabout explanations. "The answer is both yes and no. I can fix this, but I _can't_. Malfoy's soul is connected to you. That's what happened when you brought Malfoy through that door. He's in your head, Harry. Madam Pomfrey told me about the dream he had. That was one of _your_ memories, wasn't it?"

Harry nodded.

"I think that Malfoy's soul spills over into his body when you make contact. But even if you break the spell of the Dark Mark – which is dangerous in itself – the link between his soul and his body will still be severed." She added.

"So what would happen to him?"

"I'm not sure, but I suppose-" Hermione's lips pressed together into a frown. "Harry, you're the only reason he is alive right now. If we sever that connection, Malfoy will die for good this time."

"Then do it." The former Gryffindors both alarmed as Draco sat up, completely lucid. "Break the spell."

"Malfoy?" Harry's heart squeezed in his chest. "You're awake? How-"

"How much have I heard?" Malfoy spat, gathering the sheets up to his chest. "Quite enough, _Lord_ Potter."

If he was in the business of fainting, Harry doubted there was a better occasion than the present one to do so. Unfortunately, there was no escape from the steely grey eyes of Draco Malfoy. He and Hermione had been caught, believing naively - as Draco thought, insulted - that a _Slytherin_ would carry on sleeping like a Hufflepuff when matters concerning his welfare were being discussed.

"Break the spell." Draco repeated, thrusting out his left arm, pulling Harry's right one along with it.

"No." Harry said, staring unflinchingly back at him.

"What do you mean _no_?" He hissed.

"I'm not going to kill you!" The shout echoed around the room and brought uneasiness upon them. Draco noticed Harry's eyebrows were folded above the bridge of his glasses as he studied his face, looking for a chink in his rival's armor.

"Then what _will_ you do with me?" Malfoy asked.

"We'll-We'll find another way." Harry choked out, avoiding the implication.

"And until then?"

"Until then?"

"What should I do 'until then', _Lord _Potter?" Draco snapped. "Suffer the company of redheaded weasels, _Granger_, and - worst of all - _you_?" He paused dramatically. "But _at least_ I'll have Azkaban to look forward to after that. No Potters or Weasleys there." The last words dripped with bitterness.

"Malfoy." Harry whispered evenly; right hand squeezing the wizard's forearm.

The blonde glared back at him before turning to Granger. "Don't you have somewhere else you could be?"

She scowled.

"Hermione," Harry looked at her apologetically, "is there anything else you need to tell me?"

"No. I think I've said more than enough." Her hands fumbled with the white book as she shoved it into her bag and stood up. "I should be going."

"Thanks Hermione." He said, the sincerity of his tone taking the edge off their goodbyes.

"You're welcome, Harry." She gave him a faint smile, turned, and walked to the door. As Hermione twisted the knob and opened it wide, she looked back thoughtfully and said, "If I find any books on ferret care, I'll be sure to bring them." Harry smirked. The door shut behind her with a click.

"So you're obsessed with me, eh Potter?" Draco sneered and lay back haughtily, right arm draped over his eyes. "I'm flattered."

Harry flinched and turned to look at him, not sure of what to say.

"Potter?" He asked.

"Yeah?" The brunet wizard croaked.

"My mum's hearing should be coming up soon." Malfoy said, holding back the emotions flooding his chest. "You owe her, Potter. Don't let them send her to Azkaban."

"Draco…" Harry said; touched by the affection the blonde had for his mother.

Shifting his arm away from his face, Draco stared him down with red, tear-stung eyes. Like a wounded creature, Malfoy was dangerous. Harry sensed that. And yet, it excited and enchanted him; like a moth to flame, snared in a trap.

"Every time I close my eyes, I see a house." The blonde wizard spoke. "Behind every door is a strange memory." He paused. "Whenever I'm asleep, I find myself living in them. They're all nightmares."

"All of them?" Harry asked. "They're my memories. Not all of them are that bad."

"Maybe to you." Draco retorted. "Believe it or not, Potter, but some of us don't find ginger weasels attractive."

The former Gryffindor balked. "What do you mean? You didn't-"

"They're your memories, Potter." Malfoy teased, a characteristic smirk returning to his face. Somehow, getting one over on Potter always had the power to cheer him up.

A soft choking noise came from Harry's throat. Absolute mortification spelled across his visage. His former rival and current 'obsession' was not only privy to the details of his relationship with Ginny, but he was also living it. Inwardly, he cursed his fate and wondered half-heartedly why something so catastrophic did not come with a prophecy.

"Oh relax, Potter. You're love life isn't that exciting." He yawned, feeling less vulnerable and more like himself.

"And yours is?" Harry jabbed, hiding his curiosity.

Draco frowned. "I've been busy."

"I'm sure." The green-eyed wizard grinned. Pleased with the blonde's answer, more than he had right to be, he let himself relax on the bed next to him, smiling.

"Listen, Potter. I know my father and I are a different matter entirely, but someone has to keep my mother out of prison. You owe her a life debt." Malfoy said. "I won't be able to speak for her, either way. But _you_ have to. Break the curse. Let me die. Then save her."

"Malfoy, I won't-"

"Do you want me to beg, Potter?" He asked, looking him dead in the eyes.

"No!" Harry exclaimed. "I-"

"Apologize for trying to murder you?" Draco sat up, turning to loom over him. "I could apologize, but I wouldn't mean it." A defiant glint was in his stare. "Whatever you ask, whatever I have to do, you _will_ break the curse and help my mother."

"Draco," the green-eyed wizard said, suddenly uncomfortable, "I'll help her. And _you_. And your father. But I won't break the curse if it means you'll die."

"You heard Granger. She can't fix this." Malfoy prattled on. "I _made_ this mistake when I failed to murder you. I may not restore the Malfoy name, but at least I can make sure you keep my mother from spending the rest of her life locked away somewhere."

"Hermione _will_ find a way. She always does." Harry insisted, his skin bristling with goose bumps.

"I don't have the luxury of believing in mudbloods." The blonde hissed.

"Don't call her that!" He scowled.

"I will! I'll call her every name I can think of if you don't release me from the Dark Mark." Draco threatened.

"Even if I knew how…" Harry floundered. "I know what you went through with Voldemort… but things can be different, Draco."

"Don't use my first name. We're not friends, Potter. You don't know anything. Have you ever seen someone tortured to the point of insanity? Has your auntie every punished you for not murdering one of your classmates?" Malfoy felt himself unraveling. Gripping the former Gryffindor's upper arms, pinning him down, it was all he could do to keep his anger and resentment from boiling over. "I've had enough. I've seen enough. For once in your life, Potter, just-" He paused, stifled tears burning down his throat. "Just-"

"Draco." Harry cooed, trying to get one of his arms free to no avail.

"No."

"Draco, it's alright."

"Shut up, Potter!" The blonde burst, his body shaking from the burden of remembering things that were best left forgotten.

Forearms free, Harry settled on angling them so his hands reached up to cradle Malfoy's sides. He said soft, but firmly, "Why me, Draco?"

"What?" The blonde replied, coming back to his senses.

"Since the first time we met at Madam Malkin's, you've been trying to get my attention." Said Harry.

"I have not."

"You were always trying to get me in trouble, even before Voldemort was resurrected." He continued as Draco winced. "And now, after everything, you've tried to murder me twice and we've become, literally, inseparable."

"What's your point?"

"What I'm saying-" Harry paused, unsure himself. "What I'm saying is that, in spite of trying to kill each other for years, and the fact that you're a crazy prat… and in spite of almost being murdered by a figment of your imagination…" He swallowed thickly. "I… _You _- have my attention."

Eyes wide open, Draco withdrew, letting go of Harry's left arm. Confusion brushed against his pale, graceful features. Coiling up like a threatened snake, he retreated to his bed, not taking his sight off Harry.

"What do you mean I have your attention?" The blonde asked, unblinking.

Sitting up, Harry faced him; heart racing. "When you said my love life isn't that exciting…" He blushed. "You're right. When I asked about yours, you told me you've been busy."

"What of it?" Unsettled by Potter's strange behavior, Draco backed away towards the edge of his bed. He felt like prey - cornered by the glimmer of hunger that danced in the shadows of the raven-haired wizard's eyes. Never had he felt so naked.

Harry grabbed his pale hand, pinning it down to the bed. Moving closer, he noticed the slight quivering of the blonde's lower lip and his pulse throbbing against his neck.

"All these years you could have spent your time any way you wanted." He said. "Instead of facing the courts, settling down, and building healthy relationships, you've spent your time obsessing over me."

Draco's mouth fell open. "_You_? I-I've been trying to kill you, Potter. And as a matter of fact, I do have other matters that I frequently attend to." He argued weakly.

"Name one." Harry stared him down.

"I-I don't have to justify myself to you, Potter." Draco flushed, breathing shallow and fast.

Quietness fell upon them, impregnated only by unsure breaths and faint noises from the hospital's goings on outside their room. In his thoughts, the brunet told himself that he was crazy. Doubts swam through him in abundance. But he had to know. He had to find out.

With a steady hand he reached out and took hold of Draco's shoulder. It was smooth and warm, like cotton sheets in the summertime. Wide-eyed and conflicted, Malfoy sat like a statue as Harry's hand wandered over to his neck, bristling the blonde strands of hair that hung there gracefully.

"Potter…" He whined. "What do you think you're doing?"

Ignoring his words, Harry's fingers pressed on, threading through his hair. Draco's head was spinning as his heart ran away from him. He felt like there was not enough air in the world to satisfy his lungs. It wasn't fair, he thought, to be at Potter's mercy. Blinking lazily, there was both fear and curiosity in his eyes – and a longing, one that he wasn't proud of.

"I-" Draco whispered despite himself as Harry's other hand reached up to cup his cheek. Potter could be graceful in an odd sort of way, he mused before scolding his thoughts.

Boldly, the brunet leaned forward, pulling the blonde close. With a deep breath, Harry closed the distance, his lips seeking Draco's. Panic was streaking down the grey-eyed wizard's spine, sending waves of chills over his skin. He shuttered watching him draw near; painfully slow.

Making his mind up, the blonde decided if he was going to allow himself to be kissed by a Gryffindor, which is what his traitorous body seemed to insist upon, then it would be on his own terms. Without warning, Draco grabbed Harry and pushed him down, coming to hover above him. The blonde smirked at the look of bewilderment on the brunet's face. With a swiftness and agility known only to Slytherins, or so they say, Draco's lips pressed against Harry's.

It wasn't sweet. It wasn't certain. But as they settled into the kiss, it became deeper and more passionate, until it felt as if they were swimming in fire, their bodies pressed against each other. Soft moans escaped their throats as desperate breaths parted them in wasted seconds. Hands, emboldened by stimulated senses, caressed bare skin, timid and new. For an eternity and yet not long enough, they carried on, making sense of one another through an intimacy neither of them had ever imagined.

As if struck by lightning, the pair broke apart when the door to their room opened with a click. In came a healer with a tray of food, astonished by what she first glimpsed when she entered. The witch stood fixed to a spot, unsure of what she should say. Gathering himself into a more dignified position, Draco did his best to give her an even look.

"You can set it down over there." He said, tugging the white sheets over his half-naked body, and then gesturing to a small table next to a chair.

After a dazed moment, she nodded and set it down as he commanded. With a curt nod, the healer retreated from the room, her cheeks a shade of bright red. Turning to face one another, they shared an uneasy but knowing look.

"So, breakfast then?"

"Sure."

* * *

**Koiame**: YES! I'm finally done with this chapter! It was so difficult to write, but it is truly my favorite. I hope you all enjoyed it too. It was super long, wasn't it? Anyways, I'm going to try my best to have another chapter for you guys next week. I'm feeling kind of tapped out though. But I'll try my best. Thank you as always for reading and reviewing. Cheers!


	28. Chapter 28

**Koiame**: I am very sorry to make you all wait! I was having terrible writer's block. But here's another chapter. Hope you like!

P.S. – I actually like Ron very much, but this chapter disparages him quite a bit. That's Draco and not me, I swear. I happen to love him to bits as well. ^.^ So please forgive me that, thanks!

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** **harborseal54** (Hope your trip was great! Thank you very much! ^.^), **SeekerDraconis** (Glad you liked it! I'm glad they finally kissed too! Of course they have more to work through, but definitely a step in the right direction. Hope you like this chapter. Not very fluffy, but getting to it I promise!), **sunneedee** (Squee! Oh yes, indeed!), **eleksav** (Thank you so much! I was floored by your review. You're too kind! I'm happy you liked it and hope that you enjoy the chapters to come!), **kierraayanna** (Thank you! ^.^).

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**Chapter 28: Away**

The elation of the morning subsided as the afternoon rolled upon them. Breakfast had been awkward, with the clattering and scraping of silverware amidst a growing uncertainty in both their racing minds. Draco couldn't look at Harry, although he was acutely aware of each sideways glance he received from the Gryffindor. It was like an out-of-body experience - having his old rival's interest. How was he to behave, he wondered.

As healers and friends of Harry waltzed through, the blonde concluded that the most reasonable thing to do would be to ignore them. After all, they were not _his_ friends, and the healers, they didn't care if he acknowledged them or not. Their job would get done all the same. No, what he needed most was some space to think about Potter's advances. What did it mean? The whole thing was far too overwhelming to ponder properly in the company of Ronald Weasley, who was nattering on to Harry about Quidditch.

"I tell you, mark my words the Cannon's have got it this year." Ron insisted. "It's barking, but you should have _seen_ their first match. It was a complete shut-out, and that's not all-"

"Ron, they haven't got a chance. They're the worst team-" said Harry.

"Not anymore." The redhead unfolded a copy of The Daily Prophet and shoved it at him. "Look here, the Prophet's got it right. John Laverty says-"

'_I'm going to die from this drivel!_' Draco thought, covering his head with his pillow as he laid facing away from them. '_I take it back. I'm glad there aren't any Weasleys in prison. It would be indecent if there were. Absolutely intolerable! There has to be some wizarding convention to prohibit it._' He imagined on dusty parchment in some great ancient hall a line scribbled on it stating:'THY SHALL NOT incarcerate decent wizarding folk with those of the most exasperating house of Weasley.' The blonde chuckled, despite himself. Such silly thoughts were welcome distractions from the 'freckled irritation' and the vivid memory of the chosen one's lips pressed against his.

"Malfoy, are you alright?" Harry's voice pried.

Confused, Draco peeked out from under his pillow and looked at him. Realization dawned on him as he remembered laughing to himself a moment ago. The blonde smirked.

"Fine."

The brunet raised his eyebrows, amused. "Just having a laugh with yourself?"

"My thoughts are far more amusing than Weasley's blithering on about the _Chudley Cannons_." The blonde snipped, earning a glare from Ron.

"Told you he's a nutter." Ron said aside to Harry, thumbing at Malfoy rudely. "Talks to himself."

"Enough," the green-eyed wizard moaned, "both of you. Can't we all just get along for once?"

Draco opened his mouth to protest when he paused. Something was tugging at him, reeling him into a daze. A sweet, fruity smell filled his lungs, making his mouth water.

"Blueberries?" he asked.

"What?" Ron asked, wondering how Malfoy could possibly turn blueberries into a snide comment.

"Is that blueberries?" He clarified, breathing in the scent deeply.

"Yeah. It smells like blueberry pie." Harry said, sniffing the air.

"I don't smell anything." Ron's lips curved into a frown. "Maybe they're baking pies downstairs."

"Maybe they're baking pies?" Draco mocked, feeling lightheaded.

"Why would they be baking pies in a hospital?" Harry wondered, almost able to taste blueberries in his mouth.

"You can't have any." Draco mumbled, laying down.

"What?" The brunet wizard breathed slowly.

"Not until you finish your chores." The blonde closed his eyes.

"What's he talking about, Harry?" Ron asked worriedly, watching Malfoy fall asleep.

"I-I'm not sure." He replied, yawning. "I'm tired, Ron. Y-you go ahead and get some, I'll eat later."

"Harry!" The ginger wizard shouted, grabbing Harry's shoulders and shaking him. "Don't fall asleep. Let me get Hermione… or Madam Pomfrey!" He dashed out of the room, yelling more things that Harry couldn't make out.

Closing his eyes, a cold chill ran over him, washing through him. Familiar numbness tingled over his fingers, spreading like wildfire over his entire body. As his eyelashes fluttered open, the sensation stopped. Above him, the cold blue sky of winter greeted him softly. The scent of blueberry pie fresh from the oven clung to the air.

"Potter." Draco moaned beside him on the ground.

"Draco?" Harry turned his head to face his.

"It's happening again, isn't it?" The blonde said as he tried to push himself up.

Looking around, the green-eyed hero spied the familiar placard of Number Four Privet Drive. With a heavy sigh, he got to his feet, pulling Draco up with him.

"I think so." He frowned, brushing the dirt off his jeans.

"I'm sure of it." Draco said, doing the same to his black slacks. "Or else I'd be holding your hand still."

Harry looked at the blonde openly. Swallowing thickly, he held out his hand. "You still can, if you want."

"What?" The blonde wizard considered him, frightened. "Why should I-" He paused abruptly, an odd emotion sticking in his throat.

"Forget it then." The brunet withdrew his hand and walked away down the street.

"Where do you think you're going, Potter?" Malfoy panicked a little, watching the raven-haired wizard's stride.

Harry paused and called back to him. "Are you coming or not?"

Draco considered the rows of houses for a moment; muggle and strange. Without a second thought, the blonde followed down the brunet's path until they walked side by side. He wasn't sure where they were going, but it didn't matter. Heart pounding in his chest, Draco took hold of his hand and squeezed it tight.

'When there is danger,' he thought, 'the safest place to be is with Harry Potter.'

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**Koiame**: I'm so glad I got that out! It was so hard just to even begin this chapter. But now I'm happy with the direction. Hope you guys are too. Updates are going to be biweekly now. I start school again on Monday, so I'm going to have less time. We're about ¾ of the way through with this story though, so I'm going to try and finish everything by the end of this year. Thank you all for reading. And thanks for the reviews! I hope to have more for you soon! ^.^


	29. Chapter 29

**Koiame**: It's update time!

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** **SeekerDraconis** (Lol, that's great! I enjoy being quoted. Makes me feel like a published writer. Ah… one day, I hope. Anyways, here's some fluff. Enjoy!), **harborseal54 **(Aw, thank you! I'm glad it didn't show! I hope that school has been going well for you. It can be so crazy, right? Anyways, good luck and I hope you like this chapter!),** Andromeda Cain** (I'm so flattered by your review! Thank you so much and I hope that I can uphold such high standards for writing in the chapters to come. Seriously, you're review was better than cake. And I love cake… so, yeah… Thanks! ^.^), **Monsteret** (Ack! You're absolutely right. I didn't even notice that mistake. I will fix it in my copies and maybe repost that chapter. Also, sorry about the eye color confusion. The actor who plays Draco (Tom Felton) has blue eyes so I got confused. But yes, Draco's eyes are deliciously grey. I shall stick to that henceforth. Thank you!), and **MissRei24** (Wow! That's a lot of reading! I congratulate you as I am familiar with such reading marathons. I hope this new chapter is ample reward. ;D And thank you so much for your kind review!)

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**Chapter 29: Name**

"We're almost there." Harry reassured his companion as they walked through the crisp winter air. It was late afternoon and the sun sat poised above the houses as if it were on a shelf. Every now and then, a car would drive by or a pedestrian would hurry past them, paying the pair no mind. As they walked through tunnels and around fenced lots, the wizards noticed that the world of the memory became quieter and almost motionless; no cars or people. Just a rustling of trees and the shuffling of their footsteps filled the silence.

"Potter-" Draco hesitated; his emotions reining him back.

Harry sighed. "When are you going to start calling me by my first name?"

The blonde fell silent. Instead of answering, he swallowed hard and avoided the question by feigning a sudden interest in muggle architecture, but couldn't quite put his heart into it. Everything looked so similar and mundane in a world without magic, he thought. Before the grey-eyed wizard could come up with a way to change the subject altogether and avoid an awkward conversation with Potter, Harry said point-blank, "We did snog."

"Potter!" Draco yelped, flustered. "That's beside the point!"

"Is not." He replied, halting on the spot. "That's exactly the point. What are you so afraid of, Draco?" His eyes bore into the blonde's as he grabbed him by the shoulders.

The accusation provoked the Malfoy heir, but the truth of it was too disarming to fight. Draco was _terrified_ of the feelings he had found for Harry. Their origin was a mystery and a threat. How much did he care for his rival, and since when? It brought everything he knew about himself into question.

"I-I…" Draco trailed off, withering under Harry's stare. "That's preposterous. This whole arrangement is absurd!" The blonde flustered, evading the piercing green eyes that watched him squirm.

"Yeah." He frowned. "I guess it is."

Draco's heart sank at the weary tone of the brunet's voice. With a baleful expression, he looked at him and felt the whole of his existence summed up in Harry's eyes. It caught his breath and everything was still.

"Do you want the truth, Potter?" Malfoy whispered, ensnared by the lion's wounded expression.

"Yes," he said.

"Harry." Draco said, unblinking. "I wanted you to be _Harry_ since the first time we met. Before I even knew your name…"

As the blonde's words trailed off, Harry stole his lips with a kiss, finding answers to questions they never dared ask. Heart thumping in his chest, the wizard's tongue slipped into Draco's mouth, testing the depths of their feelings for one another. It was blissful and arousing, but certainly not enough. With his fingers threaded in the Slytherin's hair, Harry gently pulled Draco's head back and trailed kisses down his neck. New and exciting, the taste of his skin was warm and sweet, sending pleasant shivers through him like lightning. Liberating themselves from the soft locks of blonde hair, the hot-blooded hero's fingers began to work on the buttons of the blonde's shirt, savoring the feel of the silky fabric as he peeled it off.

A soft choking noise caught in Draco's throat as Harry's hands explored his bare chest; finding no wound or scars. He was flawless once again; the slash on Malfoy's cheek also absent, he noticed. The brunet wizard was glad. Nothing should ever be allowed to maim Draco, he thought - fingers brushing over the pale wizard's pert nipples.

"Harry." Draco hissed, trying not to moan. The cold enhanced every sensation and tensed his whole body, making his attentive bits even harder.

In that moment, all the raven-haired young man knew was that he _wanted_ the blonde; wanted, but hadn't the foggiest what to do with him. Regardless of that fact, Harry was determined to explore every inch of Draco - kiss and caress every part - until he found out.

"Harry," the blonde whimpered when the brunet wizard encircled his hardened nipple with his mouth, licking it gently. "P-Potter… we can't. We can't do this now." He stuttered.

"Why not?" Harry frowned, standing up straight and meeting Draco's gaze.

"This isn't real." He said; tugging his shirt and jacket around him for warmth.

"Draco?"

"W-While this is a terribly fascinating _experience_ we're having here, this isn't real." Draco breathed, gathering his composure. "We're in St. Mungo's right now; likely surrounded by a horde of gingers, panicking at this very moment over their hero's sudden craving for blueberry pie." The blonde quipped. "I, for one, would like to be _spared_ the embarrassment of wet dreams in front of Weasleys."

Harry laughed, relieved that Draco was merely embarrassed and not refusing his advances altogether. This just wasn't the time. He could accept that, he thought. With a quick peck on the blonde's lips, Harry led him by the hand down the sidewalk again toward the park he used to frequent alone. This time he was visiting it with Draco though, and even if it wasn't real per se, sharing a part of his past with the blonde gave him the most genuine feeling of contentment he had ever known.

* * *

**Koiame:** That's it for now. Sorry it's short, but school and things have been crazy. I should have another one for you in two weeks, if not earlier. It all depends on how inspired and busy I am. Anyways, thank you all for reading and reviewing. You're the best! Until next time, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. ^.^


	30. Chapter 30

**Koiame**: I am so sorry! I did not expect to be away so long. My last year of graduate school was nuts! I hope that this chapter lives up to your expectations. Thank you for sticking with me!

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to:** alexx, harborseal54, SeekerDraconis, SevLoverKat, Drarry-6969, and TigerInTheMoonlight. You all are amazing!

* * *

**Chapter 30: Play**

"You really don't like the Weasleys?" Harry asked.

"Don't be dense, Potter." Draco scoffed.

The Gryffindor smiled wearily and tightened his grip on the blond's hand. Softened by the wind, the shrill sound of swings sang them to an open, fenced lot of dirt and grass. Although modest in its offerings, it was a large space that held the memories of so many summer days and weekend afternoons.

"Harry," the wizard spoke softly, "what _is_ this place?"

The Gryffindor snapped out of his reminiscing to consider Draco; amused at the thought he knew something the blond did not. "It's a playground." Harry said, leading the way forward.

"Playground?" Draco mumbled quietly, searching his mind for knowledge of any such muggle place. The equipment was strange; each apparatus used for some unknown purpose.

There were slides and things to climb on, but the only play equipment Harry cared about was the swing set. How many times had the brunet imagined he was an astronaut or a pilot when he was a kid; flying through the clouds and soaring over everyone? Now that the brunet could _actually_ fly, the unexpected fruition of those early dreams evoked a strange, yet pleasant feeling each time he visited the old park.

"I guess that means you've never seen a swing before?" Harry smiled - a hint of eagerness in his voice. "It's fun. I came here a lot when I was a kid."

Draco noted the mad glint of adventure in Harry's eyes. A nervous fluttering bounced around in the blond's stomach, wondering what this 'playground' and 'swing' had in store for him. "Is it dangerous?" He asked the brunet as they approached a twisted metal frame with chains hanging from it, supporting thin strips of a shiny, black material he didn't recognize. Harry grinned mischievously, rushing over and grabbing a swing by its chains; beckoning the Slytherin with playful, challenging eyes. The more he stared at it, the more Draco wondered if a swing was some sort of sling shot or trebuchet.

"Muggles don't fly, right?" Draco frowned.

"Why?" The brunet teased. "_Scared_, Draco?"

'_Yes, because that isn't getting old already._' The blond reddened and took the bait, marching over to the waiting seat with reckless abandon. They were no longer enemies, it was true. But no way in hell was he, Draco, the one and only heir to the Malfoy house, going to falter. He sniffed and spun around, dropping into the swing. The chains made a startling squeaking noise, but when nothing horrifying happened, Draco looked up and saw the warmth in Harry's eyes and began to relax.

"Alright then?" The green-eyed young man asked happily.

Breathing deeply, Draco grabbed the chain and shifted in the swing, trying to find the most dignified position. "What is this memory supposed to be?" He wondered aloud.

Harry shook his head. "It's a long story."

"Well, it seems we have the time." Draco met his gaze and gestured to the other swing, refusing to let him off the hook.

"Right." Harry glanced around, remembering their predicament. With a sigh, he conceded and took a seat. Beside him, the blond quietly worked out the mechanics of the hanging apparatus - scuttling forwards and backwards. The Gryffindor cheered up by watching Draco; finding it amusing to watch Malfoy doing such ordinary, muggle things.

'_I wonder what his childhood was like._' The brunet began to swing, kicking his feet mindlessly until he found a good rhythm. '_No playgrounds or swing sets…_'

"Potter."

"Hn?" Harry snapped out of the fog of his thoughts to realize the heights he had reached. Next to him, an annoyed, stationary blond was staring daggers at him. Kicking his heels into the dirt below, he eventually came to a rough stop. "What?"

Draco fumed. The Gryffindor was impossible! How had the weasel and mudblood put up with him all these years? Ignoring him, never answering his questions, one-upping him at every turn… but there was no way in hell he would make those complaints out loud. '_No,_' he thought, '_Potter shouldn't be let off so easily_.' Instead, the pure-blood tore away from Harry's bewildered gaze and focused his undivided attention on the strange amalgamation of stairs, platforms, twisted ramps, and short ladders a few yards away.

"I was seven." Harry sighed, shuffling his feet over the ground. "Aunt Petunia was baking blueberry pies for the Little Whinging Philanthropic Society Christmas fundraiser. It was my job to cook the filling while she made the crust." He grimaced. "It couldn't have been past three in the morning when she woke me up. Fourteen hours of pouring and stirring until all the pies were done. But it wasn't so bad..." Pausing, he looked to Draco and smiled wryly. "I could go with them. There might be kids that Dudley didn't know, and maybe I'd make some friends…"

"Well?" Draco asked, absorbed by Harry's reminiscence. "What happened at this _fundraiser_?"

The brunet shook his head glumly. "After we finished, Aunt Petunia went to get ready upstairs while I changed in the downstairs bathroom. Dudley was standing in the kitchen when I came out; his hands worming about in one of the pies."

"Lovely." Malfoy cringed.

"The next thing I knew, we started fighting each other. One thing led to another, and pretty soon we were both covered in pie. When Uncle Vernon came home and saw us, he got this look on his face..." Harry swallowed thickly. "Long story short, I didn't get to go. They left me behind to clean up the mess."

"What about Tubley?" The blond frowned.

"Dudley," Harry corrected him with a smile, "he got to go of course."

"Prat." Draco growled. "Well, I hate dinner parties anyway. The only good dishes are always at the other end of the table."

Harry laughed appreciatively. Standing up, he walked over to Draco and grasped one of the chains supporting him.

"Potter?"

"It's strange." The Gryffindor spoke earnestly.

"What is?" Draco looked around uneasily.

Harry shook his head and smiled. "Nothing."

"If you continue toying with me Potter, I guarantee you will regret it." The blond's eyes narrowed.

"Oh come off it." The young wizard shook Draco's swing by its chain.

"Potter!" He flustered until Harry stopped.

"I just meant… there's nothing strange about this." Harry said. "I thought there would be, but…" He trailed off, letting silence fall. The heart beating inside his chest wouldn't let the brunet calm his nerves.

The blond fugitive scowled. "You're thinking this is too easy?"

Reluctantly, the brunet nodded. The conversation had veered far from where Harry had intended. Inside, he cursed his own blundering and wondered what to say. It was true that there were so many reasons why they shouldn't be getting along so well. There was a history of bad blood between them, not to mention the fact he was currently involved with Ginny.

"Just like a Gryffindor to chicken out when things start to get interesting." Draco snapped.

"I'm not!" Harry protested. "I just meant that… well, it's just… unexpected."

"So?" The blond stood up and faced him.

"So…" The green-eyed boy struggled to come up with a reply. All the while, buried feelings of insecurity were bubbling to the surface in the Slytherin's heart. The many things that they had ignored became apparent. It wasn't just their past, or even the Weasley girl, that threatened to keep them apart. He wondered if destiny itself would ever agree to such an unlikely pairing.

"Forget it." Draco looked away to the setting sun on the horizon. He didn't want an answer from Potter. The truth was always inconvenient, and Harry wasn't one to lie. No, he thought, it was better if they didn't say anything. If they did, the magic would be gone. When that happened, the blond knew he couldn't bear it. '_Even if it's just a little longer…_'

With a sigh, Malfoy returned to his swing and managed a weak, playful smirk. "Don't just stand there, Potter. Make this swing go like yours did."

Confused, Harry wondered if he would ever understand the reasoning behind the Slytherin's words and actions. It was quite an impossible challenge. But he knew enough to sense that the blond was running away from the thoughts that plagued him. All the hero could do was play along until Malfoy decided to face them. He vowed to be there when that happened.

"Fine." Harry conceded and took hold of Draco's swing. "But if you break a leg, you'll be the one to explain it to Pomfrey."

"Wait, what do you mean by-?"

Harry smiled impishly and gave the swing a good push.

* * *

**Koiame:** That's it for now. Not sure when I'll be able to update again, but I do hope to finish this one day. Heh. Anyways, thank you for reading. Until next time…


	31. Chapter 31

**Koiame**: I got the urge to write more, and so I did. Enjoy this super bonus chapter!

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

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**Chapter 31: Back**

It was starting to get dark outside. The pair lingered in the park, waiting to wake up from Harry's bittersweet memory. They had long passed the point of talking; gently swinging side-by-side, hand-in-hand. It was quiet and creepy staying there, but the alternative was returning to Privet Drive and watching little Harry scrub the floor. He opted to spare himself the humiliation.

"P-Potter." Harry's eyes darted to Draco. Terror was etched in his voice and twisted across his face. He was looking at something before him in the distance. Fear gripped the Gryffindor's insides. There was only one thing it could be to cause Malfoy such a fright. Turning his head, the hero saw a familiar cloaked figure standing atop the jungle gym. His insides turned to ice.

"Draco!" The brunet bolted up and tugged at the blond's arm to stand, but he did not move.

The Slytherin was transfixed to the spot, his eyes wide in horror. Harry could have sworn he heard a whisper escape his lips. "_Not again_." He breathed a hopeless prayer.

"We have to run!" Harry shouted, tugging harder. Malfoy had to snap out of it!

"Run, Potter?" An amused voice rang out from under the hood. "There's nowhere to go."

The figure slowly descended the steps, heels smacking against the hard surface. Its pale hands reached up and pulled back the hood that had masked its identity. But who it was, it couldn't be. Harry knew she was killed.

"Oh…" The woman cooed. "Surprised to see me? Well Draco shouldn't be. He's known I was here all along."

Harry glanced at Malfoy, pale as a ghost. It was too much of a shock for either of them. Somehow, for some godforsaken reason, Bellatrix Lestrange stood before the wizards, a gleeful smile on her face.

"W-why are you here?" The Gryffindor protested, heat rising in his chest. "You should be dead!"

The witch cackled and took a step closer. "Boo!" She exclaimed. "Well, look at that. I'm alive!"

"Stop!" Harry commanded. "Stay where you are!"

"I'd rather not." Bellatrix smiled and pranced towards them.

"Draco," Potter begged, "we have to go now!"

Weakly, the blond willed himself to stand. He was shaking like a newborn doe, knees buckling under him. It had to be a nightmare. If this was real…

"W-what do you want?" His grey eyes narrowed.

"What do you want?" She repeated. "Don't you know? No… No, I don't suppose I do."

"C'mon Draco!" Harry pled.

"You should listen to him, you know." Bellatrix spun around whimsically. "Potter always has had the insufferable habit of being right."

Confusion flickered across the blond's face. Something was off. "Who are you really?" Malfoy asked, a small measure of strength returning to him.

The dark witch smirked. "Your executioner? Certainly. But who exactly, I wonder? I'll give you a hint." Before their eyes, the form of Bellatrix Lestrange changed. In her place, a young girl emerged from a shroud of darkness. "How about now?"

Harry thought she looked familiar; a student at Hogwarts perhaps? Draco crumbled to the ground beside him. It was a face that haunted him in nightmares. He couldn't face her.

"Who… are you?" The brunet wizard asked, completely baffled.

"This girl has no name." She said; a miserable expression on her face. "But if you must know her by something, then I suppose 'the girl Draco Malfoy killed' has a certain charm to it."

"What?" Harry wavered. '_The girl Draco killed?_'

* * *

**Koiame:** Dun, dun, dun… okay, really dramatic chapter. Got to keep you all on your toes. Anyways, I'll try to update soon but I can't make any promises. I'm just that type of unreliable sort. But thanks for sticking with me. You guys are freakin' great!


	32. Chapter 32

**Koiame**: Left you guys off with a pretty interesting cliff hanger, so I didn't want to keep you waiting too long. Thank you for reading this story! Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to: harborseal54** (Thank you! Glad you liked the new chapters. It went alright, I suppose. Working on my own stories and looking for a job to pay the bills now. All in all, can't complain too much. Hope you are well!)

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**Chapter 32: Tear**

As he fell to his hands and knees, Draco wondered why he couldn't stop himself from shaking. It wasn't true, what the specter before them said. He wasn't a murderer. Her face was indeed familiar, and he had been partly responsible for her suffering, but the blond was certain that her blood was not on his hands.

"What does she mean, Draco?" Harry's eyes weighed upon the former death eater. "Did you… Have you really… murdered-"

"No!" Malfoy shouted; a nagging feeling gripping his chest as he said it. There was uncertainty lying in the darkness of the wizard's heart; so quiet that it could devour him without ever being noticed.

The figure of the young girl laughed and produced a blood-stained dagger. Harry instinctively stepped forward, ready to defend if necessary.

"I thought if I returned this to you, it would be enough." She frowned, examining the blade. "But your very existence, no matter how _pitiful_, pains me."

Draco looked up, sheet-white and trembling.

"All those comfortable lies..." The young girl stared icily into his grey eyes. "How much will you suffer without them?" She embraced herself, a feeling of glee washing over her. "Your death will be splendid."

"Enough!" Harry yelled; fists clenched tightly at his sides. The ground beneath them began to quake. A thunderous sound grew louder as the clear, cold winter sky remained unchanged. "You're wrong!" He roared.

"Potter?" The former Slytherin gazed up at him.

An unnatural sneer twisted the young girl's face as she appraised the hero. The world around them started to hemorrhage violently. It felt like an overwhelming magic was pushing at the boundaries of their surroundings.

"This is _my_ memory. This is my head, we're in." The raven-haired wizard declared. "I won't let you... _not again_."

Everything began to blur before the blond's stinging eyes. His emotions were threatening to rip him apart. Dense and frightening, they became an overwhelming presence inside.

"Take my hand, Draco." Malfoy watched Potter reach out to him with a dim smile. "Let's find a way out."

He didn't trust himself to speak. Instead, the wizard reached up, accepted the green-eyed man's awaiting grasp, and forced himself to stand.

"You have my permission to go," the figure said, "for now."

Retreating, Harry led Draco from the specter; showing his back to her only after they were far away. They were not being pursued, as far as he could tell, but the unease that prickled all over his skin did not fade. The tremors beneath their feet had almost ceased, and yet the pair sensed that the memory enveloping them had begun to unravel.

"There must be an exit somewhere." Harry said as they turned onto Privet Drive. Only slivers of sunlight remained as night encroached upon them. In the distance, he could make out the rough silhouettes of the Dursleys packing together into the car.

"H-Harry…" Draco panted, coming to a stop beside him.

"It's just a bit farther." The brunet urged.

Without protest, Malfoy trotted beside him once more, feeling the darkness sinking in. One by one, the street lights popped on, casting their shadows in long strips. The Dursleys drove off, passing by them on the road. As they ran, Harry recalled the previous memories as they had begun to fade. A door had appeared each time, showing them a way out. He tried not to think of what might happen if they missed that door now. Uneasy sensations rippled inside his chest.

"Potter!" The blond yelped.

Glancing behind him, the Gryffindor spotted the cause. Just as he feared, the world was deteriorating quickly. At that rate…

"Keep moving!" Harry hollered. "Don't look back!"

Number 4 was right there, waiting for them. The grass crunched under their feet. Hearts pounding, the front door was in their grasp. It was ordinary.

"It must be inside!" The green-eyed hero exclaimed, reaching for the doorknob.

It was locked. He pulled and twisted, but it wouldn't budge. Draco made an attempt as well, but to no avail. They were stuck outside. In the window, a young Harry was peering out at the empty driveway. The sight stunned the brunet.

"Open the door!" He called out to his little self; pounding on the door. "Please, hurry!"

"P-Potter!" The blond grabbed him from behind.

The last thing Harry remembered was spinning around, the ground giving way beneath them, and the faint sound of Draco sobbing.

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**Koiame:** That's all for now! I hope you liked it. More should hopefully come soon. Until then…


	33. Chapter 33

**Koiame**: Sorry for skipping last month's update. I thought I would have time before summer vacation, but it snuck up on me really quick. I am going to commit to uploading at least one chapter by the 15th of every month, unless otherwise noted. I'm totally going to punish myself like a house elf if I don't. Anyways, without further ado please accept this humble continuation of Wake Me Up.

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to: harborseal54** (Glad to hear it! Here's another one coming your way!), **Buford** (Aw, thank you so much! I hope this chapter continues to live up to your expectations.), **Goddess of Monsters** (Oh my, I'll try! ;) Sorry for the wait, but I hope you enjoy this chapter.), **Micca5683** (Thank you! Me too!), and **JustAhReader** (New update, coming right at ya! I'm very happy to hear that! Thanks!).

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**Chapter 33: Spat**

The first sensation Draco noticed upon waking was the back of his head weighing foggily upon his standard issue St. Mungo's hospital pillow. Next was the racket of voices and noisy workings. The blond cringed and opened his tear-stained eyes. What was happening, he wondered in a daze. As his vision blinked into focus, the young wizard met the stare of a stranger leaning over him. Panic, his mouth open to shout, and then he began to remember.

"Mr. Malfoy," the unfamiliar face spoke slowly, "can you understand what I'm saying?"

Draco took a deep, labored breath and had a look around. Harry was lying unconscious beside him on the bed. The rest of the room, he noticed, was littered with a clutter of Weasleys and one obligatory Granger. He lazily counted seven Weasleys total; the parent 'gingers', the girl, the one that likes Mudbloods, the one with the shop, the one with the Ministry, and the one Greyback turned.

'_There's one for every day of the week._' Draco scowled and rolled over on his side towards Harry. "Why them?"

"Sorry?" The healer began a reply.

"He hasn't woken up yet?" The blond asked, hating the cottony feeling of his lips and tongue.

"It's all _his_ fault!" Ginny Weasley's shrill cry pierced the room, depriving Draco of an answer. "Why are you defending him?"

"I'm not defending him, sweetie…" Mr. Weasley assured her. "All I'm saying is that getting excited won't help things. I've heard from Madam Pomfrey and the healer in charge. They're working on a way to cure Harry. Let's just wait outside for now and-"

The young witch brushed past her father at the sight of Draco stirring and, stalking to the foot of their bed, she stared him down. "_You_," Ginny leaned forward, "you were awake then?"

Draco spared her a tired glance.

"I don't know what you're playing at Malfoy, but I won't let Harry be fooled." She paused. "I know about you and your queer intentions." Her face was turning as red as her hair.

If his mind had not been filled with the memory of the hooded figure in his and Harry's dream, Draco knew he could have come up with something supremely clever to say. But in that moment, he couldn't bring himself to care.

"Have someone remove her from our room." Draco commanded the healer beside him.

All manner of hexes and curses were popping up in Ginny's mind, but none of them severe enough to punish the blond who threatened to usurp her. As if sensing the approaching storm, the other Weasleys began to react, each in their own way.

"Oh, dear." Molly Weasley fretted, moving towards her only daughter.

From a back pocket of her jeans, Ginny drew her wand and pointed it at Malfoy. "You're the one who's going to be removed!"

"Ginevra Weasley," Mrs. Weasley grabbed the girl's wand arm, "we're in a hospital for heaven's sake!"

The young witch scowled, rotating the wand agitatedly in her palm. A thick silence gathered around them. Draco could hear the thoughts flitting about in the witch's skull as she pondered ways to bring her wrath down upon him, of which there were so many. But there was a time and place, and this was not it. Even after realizing this, she stood in defiance of it, as if reality itself had become a coconspirator in Draco Malfoy's insidious plot.

The blond himself couldn't care less. He continued to stare at Harry's sleeping visage, wrapped up in his own insecure thoughts. Willing the torrent of emotions he felt to not show on his face, it was Draco's blank mask of apathy which shut the world out that pissed Ginny off the most.

"Are you listening, Malfoy?" She fumed, refusing to let down her wand.

"Leave it alone for now, pumpkin." Arthur Weasley pled.

"Dad, don't call me that!" Embarrassed, she turned to him.

"I'm sure there's just been a misunderstanding." He added.

"Your father's right, dear." Molly Weasley guided her daughter away in a gentle, but firm grasp. "We'll come back when Harry's awake."

After a bit more cajoling, Ginny was finally persuaded and escorted out by the other Weasleys. Draco barely noticed their exit. The room went quiet, save for the healers going about their duties. He didn't mind them. With his eyes closed and mind occupied, he didn't mind anyone.

'_I killed that girl?_' Draco asked himself, picturing her face. '_No, I would know if I had killed someone or not. I would remember. I would remember?_' He remembered Harry and wondered what he thought of the claim against him. As much as he disliked anyone standing in judgment of him, the young blond believed Potter the most qualified to weigh his soul. Murder wasn't something he was really capable of was it?

'_Of course it is._' Draco lamented.

The blond felt something soft smack him in the face. Opening his eyes, Hermione Granger looked at him from the bedside with a rolled up newspaper in her hand.

"Did you hit me with that, Granger?" He asked, gesturing to the paper.

"Would you prefer I punched you in the nose instead?" She quipped.

Draco glared. "What do you want?"

"First, I thought you should see this." Hermione tossed the paper onto his chest. "After that, I want to know what happened while you were asleep."

"Nothing." He grasped what he could now tell was a copy of the Daily Prophet. Unfolding it, the headline on the front page read 'FORMER DEATHEATER BEWITCHES HARRY POTTER'. The blond steeled his eyes and glanced up at the bushy haired witch.

"Do you understand now?" She asked.

The door to their room slid open and Ron Weasley stepped through. "Are you coming?" He said. "Ginny's going to have a fit if you're the only one who gets to stay behind."

Hermione crossed her arms and sighed. After a moment of silent deliberation, she conceded. "Fine." The young woman walked to the door and stopped a moment. "I'll be back later."

The heavy door shut with a sturdy click.

After she had gone, Draco rubbed his face, smoothing his furrowed brow of any creases. He couldn't believe there was an article in the paper already. The whole world would know by now how he had failed to kill the wizarding hero. He brought the paper up to his face and began to read again.

_**- The -**_

**DAILY PROPHET**

_**August 14, 1998**_

_**FORMER DEATHEATER BEWITCHES HARRY POTTER**_

_**by Betty Braithwaite**_

_**S**__**ources close to Harry Potter have confirmed that he was targeted by former deatheater Draco Malfoy in a murder plot last week at The Leaky Cauldron in London, England. Mr. Malfoy is a fugitive wanted for questioning in connection to countless crimes including capital murder. While the circumstances are still under investigation, and the Ministry of Magic has refused to make any comments at this time, reports have come in from multiple eyewitnesses claiming that they had seen aurors speak with acquaintances of Harry Potter at St. Mungo's hospital. **_

_**A healer at St. Mungo's who wished to remained anonymous has told The Daily Prophet that Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy are both being treated for complications that have arisen from the alleged murder attempt. While the healer refused to divulge any further information regarding the murder charges against Draco Malfoy, she expressed concern for Harry's Potter's safety. "I was walking into the room and before that I heard some noises, you know." She recalled one particular incident in an interview with this journalist last night. "Well, I go in and I see [Mr.] Malfoy on top of Mr. Potter!" The healer claimed. "It looked like he was, you know, forcing himself on him."**_

_**While Draco Malfoy is a former classmate of Harry Potter from during their time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it is widely known by fellow students and professors that the two did not get along. [Continued A4]**_

The blond flung the newspaper as far as he could across the room, the pages scattering. Draco pulled the pillow out from behind his head and covered his face with it, pressing down firmly and almost suffocating. Gasping, he let go when he couldn't bear it any longer and choked out a breathless sob.

"Why?" Draco lobbed his pillow blindly against the wall, smashing and knocking over an assortment of things. The tinkling and shattering sounds were soothing, but nowhere near enough. He wanted the world to break into as many pieces as he had, and then burn them until there was nothing left.

Curling up into the fetal position, the blond's cold, trembling fingers wrapped around Harry's arm and, resting the top of his head against it, he cried alone.

'_Why can't I have just one thing? Money, honor, respect… it wouldn't matter._' He squeezed tightly. '_I can't have you, can I?_'

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**Koiame**: I need a hug. More to come next month. Sniffles. In the meantime - pie. Lots of pie. The heartbreak demands it.


	34. Chapter 34

**Koiame**: I hope you all can forgive my long absence. I was so busy for the past few months that I lived on maybe 5 hours of sleep a night and only had a break from working to eat or use the bathroom. It was crazy, but now I have more time to work on my writing. The following chapter is pretty angsty, so be forewarned. I hope you all enjoy it though and look forward to more chapters.

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to: Sunneedee** (I'm sorry! So much angst, I know. But thank you for reading!), **harborseal54** (Yay, pie! I love chocolate pie. So good! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. Sorry for the delay!), **1776IsMyLife** (I know, right? She should totally be fired! Hm, there's a thought. Perhaps next chapter, lol. I hope you enjoy this one though.), **Guest** (Thank you for your review. Draco's kinda screwed up in the head from all the things he's been through. I don't want to give spoilers, but I promise he has his reasons.), and **bluecup94** (Thank you very much! Sorry for the wait! I hope you enjoy!).

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**Chapter 34: Hide**

Draco sat cross-legged in bed, head in hands and elbows propped up on his thighs. The knee pressing against Harry's side was the only contact he was afforded under the scrutinizing gaze of the healers. Hating them all for the thoughts he imagined flooded through their minds - a mental deluge of collective judgment and repulsion - he felt muddy and murderous. If the heir of Malfoy was _filth_ now, he would spitefully taint everything within his grasp.

The blond glanced at Harry.

"I think it goes without saying, but it would serve you well to be on your best behavior going forward, Mr. Malfoy." Madam Pomfrey tugged at her dragon hide gloves.

With a start, Draco turned to the witch. '_She couldn't possibly have used occulmency… No, don't be absurd. Everyone must know of 'Draco the Defiler' by now_.'

"Save your strength. You'll need that bile in your gut for the treatments ahead of you."

"Treatments?"

"Give us a moment." She bid the other healers to leave before offering an explanation. Her eyes were bloodshot and her skin was a shade paler than usual. The site of her state set Draco on edge. "I won't lie to you, Mr. Malfoy. There are no guarantees that we will find a remedy for this affliction. Even experimenting with various treatments could be fatal. These circumstances are entirely new to us, and far beyond our limited understanding of tangible curses."

Madam Pomfrey gave time for the words to impress upon her patient. He looked away. There was no ticking clock to cut up the silence. The room was bright and sterile. He increasingly felt like a specimen kept under glass as time dragged along.

"Let's start then."

"If you're sure," she pulled out a black bottle with thick etching, "then we'll try this potion first."

Draco took a deep breath. No matter how badly it tasted, he was certain that he could stomach it. After all, things like that were trivial in comparison to what he had endured already. The aged witch unstopped the bottle with the sound of a pop. Black vapors rose up from the potion and took the shape of a large raven, which let out a loud screech that shook the room before it dissipated.

"We should wait for Potter."

"Mr. Malfoy."

"I've reconsidered."

The witch sternly batted down at him as she remembered what a joy Malfoy had been during the previous occasions he had wound up in her care.

"It tastes like licorice." She offered the bottle to him.

"A bird flew out-"

"Yes, yes it did. Drink it down before another hops out."

This was nostalgia.

An aching feeling clutched the blond wizard's chest. He wished it would go away.

"I-I'll take it."

Madam Pomfrey smiled wearily and obliged him. As soon as he grasped the vial in his bare hands, Draco shuttered. Somehow, that potion wanted very much to be left alone.

"Bottoms up." She urged.

"This… this has been approved by the Potions and Restoratives Committee?"

"Drink."

Scowling, Draco pressed the mouth of the bottle to his lips and slowly tilted it backwards. Madam Pomfrey lied, he thought. There was no taste at all. It slid down his throat like swallowing a sword; metallic and cold. The emptied container fell from his hand onto his lap.

"Mr. Malfoy?"

His head wobbled as he straddled the border of consciousness. The blond wizard blinked until the haziness subsided.

"Well, this is an improvement." A sneer worked its way across his face.

Goosebumps prickled over the matron's skin. Uneasiness was growing in her core. The patient before her examined himself in wonder. What effect had the potion had, she wondered.

"Are you feeling any effects from the treatment?"

He took notice of the healer. "Madam Pomfrey? This _is_ a surprise."

She subtly dipped a gloved hand in her robes and grasped her wand.

"And Potter?" Draco laughed. "Where are you hiding?" His pale fingers ran down Harry's stubbly cheek and wrapped around the hero's throat, squeezing with all his might. "You're always there to save the day."

"Stop!" Madam Pomfrey drew her wand.

His grip loosened.

"If I really wanted Potter dead, I would have murdered him already." Draco's sedate eyes met hers. He withdrew his hand.

"Who are you?"

The blond hunched over where he sat in bed. Draco fell silent; the hitching of his breaths watched intently by the healer hovering nearby.

"Mr. Malfoy?"

After a long, pregnant pause she began to hear faint sobbing noises.

"Mr. Malfoy?"

They grew louder.

"Are you feeling any discomfort?"

"I-I remember." He gasped for air in the flood of his tears. "Murder… I…"

"Murder?"

"I..." Draco griped at his face, the tears spilling over them. "I… m-mur..."

Even without asking, she understood. It was pity that moved her hand to comfort him, and fear that stayed it.

"I'm so sorry." She said; the heart in her chest breaking.

"I-I couldn't refuse. I…"

"I know."

Tears were brimming in her eyes. The horrors of the Battle of Hogwarts fresh in her mind, she felt the heavy burden of her years and wondered if the scars of helplessness would ever fade. She searched for the right words to say, even though there were none. After stowing her wand, Madam Pomfrey picked up a small vial from the tray beside her.

"Take this." She held it before him in her palm.

Draco picked it up with trembling fingers.

"It's a sleeping draught."

The blond looked at Harry's unconscious face. He uncorked the vial and downed it.

Madam Pomfrey took the emptied container and slipped it into her pocket. In a second, Draco fell asleep. The matron laid him down and pulled the sheets up to his chest. Taking a seat, she wiped her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm sure I can't imagine. The terrible deeds…" She thought aloud. "They don't have to define you. Your life is just beginning. All the mistakes are just a part of your… past." The gray-haired matron stood. "It's… a part of him?"

As if struck by a sudden revelation, she dashed from the room. The door slowly closed shut behind her, leaving only silence.

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**Koiame**: What a chapter! Hope it was eventful enough for you guys. Not going to lie; I cried a bit writing this. So worth it though. More romance to come soon so please hang in there if you're missing it. Thank you for reading! Look for the next chapter to be released December 22nd. Until then…


	35. Chapter 35

**Koiame**: I'm really sorry for the long absence. I know it is kind of my M.O. by now, but I had hopes of turning over a new leaf. Unfortunately, I have not been doing so well. Thank you for your continued readership in spite of this. I hope the following chapter lives up to your expectations, although I caution you that it is an angsty one. Without further ado, enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** Please see Chapter 1 disclaimer as it applies to all chapters. 18+

**Reviewer Thank You(s) to: harborseal54** (Thank you! I'm trying to take it easy, which has caused the four month delay. I hate my day job. Sigh. I hope you like this chapter.) and **Drarry4eva** (Wow, thank you for the reviews! I appreciate them and sorry to make you wait so long! Yeah, I dislike Ginny so much. Let's hope for the best. It's going to be a rough road ahead though.)

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**Chapter 35: Torn**

Harry was reading at a desk in Malfoy manor, surrounded by towering piles of old hardbacks stacked haphazardly here and there. The hand carved bookshelves lining the walls were interspersed with family heirlooms and artifacts. It was a rather dull dream compared to the nightmares Draco had come to expect, but, if only just a little, it soothed the aching need to know Harry was safe.

"Potter." He groaned; waking to the familiar hell of white walls surrounding him once more. The cold sweat moistening his skin caused a shiver as reality soaked in; terrifying yet reliable.

"Malfoy?" Granger's voice forced his bleary eyes to focus. What was the matter now? Draco sat up and scowled at the sight of Ron next to her at Harry's bedside. He was in no mood to entertain them. Before the former death eater could turn away however, the mudblood uttered, "Madam Pomfrey told us…"

"Madam Pomfrey?" The blond seethed. "Tell me… what headline should I look forward to reading in the Prophet tomorrow? Potter becomes a death eater? Malfoy's autumn fashion tips? Or maybe something far more shocking - perhaps how the war was won by imbeciles who don't know how to keep their mouths shut?!"

Hermione grabbed Ron's arm tightly, stopping him from acting rashly. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "What do you know about horcruxes?"

Draco scowled.

"I'll start at the beginning then." She pulled out an old text, flipped open to a bookmarked page, and started to recite words she had hoped never to read again. "A horcrux is a powerful object in which a dark wizard or witch has concealed a fragment of his or her soul for the purpose of attaining immortality." Hermione glanced up, monitoring the blond's reaction. "We discovered that the secret to Voldemort's immortality came from seven horcruxes he created and, with Harry, sought them out and destroyed them so that the dark lord was made mortal once again."

"Fascinating story, Granger," and truth be told Draco's interest was piqued, "but what is the point?"

"Murder," she leveled at him, "rips the soul apart. Voldemort created the horcruxes by taking advantage of that fact."

His eyes drifted away from hers. As if sifting through the fragments of a broken mirror with his bare hands, Draco pieced together the meaning of those words.

"The horcrux you created is likely trying to assert itself and take over Harry…" Her strained words became a whisper.

No one spoke for a while; verity weighing too heavily on their chests.

With a dry voice, Draco asked, "How do I stop it?"

"We could stab you with a basilisk fang and see what happens." Ron stared daggers at his hated schoolfellow.

"Ron! We are not stabbing him…" Hermione smacked his leg with the book in her hands. The Slytherin guessed that murdering him was an acceptable solution to the Weasley brood, and likely most of the wizarding world, if it would save Potter's life. Anger and disgust welled up inside him. The redhead made a low, dismissive grunt and leaned back in his chair.

"Is that the only way to destroy it?" Mutinous, salty tears began to sting the corners of Draco's eyes. He hoped they went unnoticed.

The brunette witch straightened in her seat awkwardly and balanced the copy of 'Secrets of the Darkest Art' on her lap. "No, it's not." She shot her boyfriend a cautionary glance before continuing. "There are two methods we know of; the first being basilisk venom… and the second is for a wizard to reconnect the horcrux he made with his soul, thus mending it."

Draco clenched the sheet in his fists, willing himself to remain as collected as possible in front of Harry's friends. He had to breathe through it. A Malfoy retained his dignity no matter what the circumstance. "Since I would rather not _die_, Granger, how should I mend it?"

"For it to be reversed, the wizard who created the horcrux would have to feel genuine remorse for what he had done." Hermione explained. "The pain itself could kill you."

The door clicked open and a young healer popped inside, carrying in her arms clean sheets and a folded bit of parchment on top. "Ah, hello." She eyed the room. "I'll just leave these here for later. There's also a letter, for him." The witch gestured nervously at Draco before turning on her heels and leaving.

"Accio parchment." Ron cast and the letter flew into his hand. He examined the cream colored paper, sealed with a wax stamp of the Malfoy crest.

"Hand it over, Weasley." He snarled.

The Gryffindor stared defiantly back.

"Ron, just give him the letter-"

"I'd like to know what daddy death eater has to say, first." His fingers broke the seal open and began unfolding it.

Draco began to crawl over Harry as if ready to pounce. "If you read a single _word_, I swear I will…"

"You'll what?" The Gryffindor shouted at him, completely ignoring Hermione. "Off me, too?"

The chair Ron had been sitting in only a moment before exploded with the force of Draco's anger. Hermione held her boyfriend back; wand ready in his hand.

"Who would bother murdering you?" The blond sneered. "There are _swine_ whose lives have held more consequence."

"Do everyone a favor and drop dead, Malfoy!"

"Stop it! Can't you see this isn't helping?!" Hermione plead, tears streaming down her face. "Harry wouldn't want this."

"I don't want this either!" Ron turned to her. "Not horcruxes, not curses… and I could especially live without evil pricks like Malfoy trying to do us in!"

"Allow me to assure you, and all the other filthy weasels, that I have absolutely no interest in the poor, simple-minded rabble you call family!" Draco dogged a spell aimed directly at his head.

"Go!" With all her might, Hermione pushed Ron back. "Leave!"

The ginger wizard backed away, giving her an appraising, slack-jawed look. Tossing the parchment on the ground, he nodded his head in disbelief before stalking out of the room. The door eased itself closed as the letter blew across the floor before coming to a stop. Hermione walked over, crouched down, and scooped it up. After wiping her tears, she folded up the paper neatly and placed it on the hospital bed. The next moment, without looking at the blond or offering any words of consolation, she followed in Ron's footsteps and left.

Draco steadied his nerves. The throbbing in his head dulled the sick feeling in his chest. He picked up the slightly crinkled paper that rested at Harry's feet and unfolded it, green wax fragments from the broken seal flaked off in his lap.

_My Dearest Draco,_

_ I hope you are well. Your father and I are concerned by the rumors of late. Our trial date is the Tuesday next. If all goes well, I will be with you soon. Be strong until then._

_Love Always,_

_Mother_

Malfoy sobbed. He didn't know how to be strong anymore. There was no future except the bleak one laid before him; die or watch as Potter… No. He couldn't let that happen. Harry had accepted him like no one ever had. Draco loved him for that.

Folding up the parchment, he put it aside and focused on the leg that rested against Harry's. Wandless magic was not something Draco had fully mastered yet, however the basics of it were there. After calming himself as best he could, the wizard sat awhile staring longingly at Harry's expressionless face before building up enough resolve to speak his last.

"Finite Incantatem." He felt the spell binding their bodies together weaken. "Finite Incantatem!"

The magnetic draw between their legs broke with the second spell. Draco had done it. A sick feeling of triumph roiled in his stomach. He kissed Harry's cheek one last time before letting go of his touch completely. The blond fell lifelessly on his side; gone from his body to face the demon inside and bring back the boy-who-must-live.

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**Koiame**: Well, fuck. This has been the most depressing chapter. I hope to post something at least somewhat happier/more romantic next time. Until then…


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